Revegetation of steeplands in France and New Zealand: geomorphic and policy responses
Résumé
Efforts to address significant issues arising from erosion and land degradation in steeplands of many countries have largely relied on revegetation. The policy responses of individual countries to this issue have been many and varied as has the success of those policies. In France, there has been a long history over the last two centuries of local, regional, and national revegetation efforts in dealing with land degradation in steeplands and mountain lands. In contrast, efforts in New Zealand have been historically more recent. However, the nature of the interventions (scale, cost, physical approach) between the two countries are similar. The overall physical landscape responses to these revegetation efforts have also been similar. Using the Southern Prealps region in France and the East Coast North Island region of New Zealand as "study sites" we compare past and current revegetation efforts to address degradation of steeplands. Both study areas have similarities in geology, geomorphology and types of erosion processes (shallow landsliding and gullying). We outline the historical policy interventions and their associated physical landscape responses, highlight lessons learnt (successes, failures, the nature of the science to demonstrate success), and discuss implications for future policy development.
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