An Indigenous-assisted cultural perspective on conservation of New Zealand soils and the biota dependent on them

Abstract

Soil habitat quality is an important indicator of environmental health. New Zealand soils are in critical condition because of various land-use practices, such as intensification of agriculture and urban growth, causing increased erosion and loss of fertile soil. Soil consists of organic (carbon-rich, microbe-laden detritus) and inorganic (weathered rock particles, minerals, water, air) components that are vital for sustaining flora and fauna, including humans. Soil in and of itself is alive with various forms of biota. Soil conservation takes an anthropocentric, utilitarian approach to policy and planning, whereas soil preservation takes an ecocentric or nature-centred approach. When the catchment boards of the earlier eras [governed by the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Act 1941 (NZ)] were decommissioned to make way for regional councils around the time when the Resource Management Act 1991 (NZ) came into force, the soil scientific expertise was largely lost. At the same time, soil quality in New Zealand has been deteriorating ever since. In this paper, I argue for the establishment of community-based soil conservancies and conservancy officers and, ultimately, the legal endowment of personhood on soil in order for kaitiaki oneone (soil guardians) to be appointed. These measures will assist in the protection of soils, which will lead to better outcomes for the environment and generations to come.