Sherry Catchment Case Study
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
A SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF UNCERTAINTY IN THE SPATIAL RESOLUTION OF THE UNDERLYING DATA USED FOR ESTIMATING SOIL EROSION SUSCEPTIBILITY IN NEW ZEALAND A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Environmental Science by James B. Skurupey University of Canterbury 2013 Dedicated to my Grandfather and Grandmother Nehring, as well as my Uncle Loran Nehring and cousin Ann Collins, who all passed away while I was studying abroad in New Zealand. TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents Table of Contents ....................................................................................................................... i List of Figures .......................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ............................................................................................................................ ix List of Abbreviations ................................................................................................................ x Abstract ................................................................................................................................... xii Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................... xv Chapter 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background .................................................................................................................... 1 1.1.1 NZ Erosion ............................................................................................................... 2 1.1.2 New Zealand Land Use Inventory .......................................................................... 3 1.1.3 Land Use Capability (LUC) .................................................................................... 4 1.1.4 Erosion Susceptibility Classification (ESC) ........................................................... 4 1.2 Scope and Objectives ..................................................................................................... 4 1.2.1 Modifiable Areal Unit Problem (MAUP) ............................................................... 7 1.2.2 Research Objectives ................................................................................................. 8 1.3 Constraints ...................................................................................................................... 9 1.4 Assumptions ................................................................................................................... 9 1.5 Thesis Strategy ............................................................................................................. 10 1.5.1 Chapter 2: Literature Review ................................................................................ 10 1.5.2 Chapter 3: Methodology ........................................................................................ 10 1.5.3 Chapter 4: Results - Sherry River Catchment Case Study ................................... 11 1.5.4 Chapter 5: Results - Horizons Regional Case Study ............................................ 11 1.5.5 Chapter 6: Discussion ............................................................................................ 12 1.5.6 Chapter 7: Summary and Conclusions .................................................................. 12 Chapter 2 Literature Review ........................................................................................... 13 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 13 i | PAGE TABLE OF CONTENTS 2.2 Soil Erosion .................................................................................................................. 13 2.3 Erosion Surveying ........................................................................................................ 16 2.3.1 NZ’s Land Use Capability System ........................................................................ 18 2.3.2 NZ’s Proposed Erosion Susceptibility Classification (ESC)................................ 23 2.4 Current Erosion Management Policy in New Zealand ............................................... 23 2.5 Cartography of the ESC’s Underlying Data ................................................................ 25 2.6 Modifiable Areal Unit Problem ................................................................................... 29 2.7 Uncertainty in the Areal Units of LUC Erosion Severity ........................................... 31 2.7.1 Quantifying Uncertainty ........................................................................................ 32 2.7.2 Geographical Information Systems ....................................................................... 33 2.7.3 Vector Modelled Map Comparison Analyses ....................................................... 35 2.7.4 Raster Modelled Map Comparison Analyses ....................................................... 39 2.8 The Research Problem ................................................................................................. 45 2.8.1 Research Questions ................................................................................................ 46 Chapter 3 Materials and Methodology ........................................................................... 47 3.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 47 3.2 Location: Sherry Catchment Case Study .................................................................... 47 3.2.1 Land Use ................................................................................................................ 48 3.2.2 Climate ................................................................................................................... 49 3.2.3 Geology .................................................................................................................. 49 3.2.1 Soils ........................................................................................................................ 52 3.2.2 Purpose of the Tasman LUC Survey ..................................................................... 54 3.3 Location: Horizons Case Study ................................................................................... 54 3.3.1 Land Use ................................................................................................................ 56 3.3.2 Climate and Topography ....................................................................................... 56 3.3.3 Geology .................................................................................................................. 58 ii | PAGE TABLE OF CONTENTS 3.3.4 Soils ........................................................................................................................ 60 3.3.5 Purpose of the Horizons LUC Survey ................................................................... 62 3.4 Data ............................................................................................................................... 62 3.4.1 Erosion Severity ..................................................................................................... 63 3.5 Design ........................................................................................................................... 64 3.5.1 Investigating Research Question 1: The Association of the Melton Ratio and LUC Survey ........................................................................................................................ 64 3.5.2 Investigating Research Question 2: Spatial Thematic Accuracy ........................ 68 3.6 Analysis ........................................................................................................................ 70 3.6.1 Testing Research Question 1: ................................................................................ 71 3.6.2 Testing Research Question 2: ................................................................................ 72 Chapter 4 Results: Sherry Catchment Case Study ........................................................ 75 4.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 75 4.2 Methodology ................................................................................................................ 75 4.2.1 Investigating Research Question 1: ....................................................................... 75 4.2.2 Investigating Research Question 2: ....................................................................... 78 4.2.3 Accuracy Assessment Model ................................................................................ 79 4.3 Results .......................................................................................................................... 81 4.3.1 Research Question 1: Associating the Melton ratio and LUC surveying ............ 81 4.3.2 Research Question 2: Testing Spatial Thematic Accuracy .................................. 84 4.4 Discussion .................................................................................................................... 89 4.4.1 Research Question 1: Associating the Melton ratio and LUC surveying