Potential impact of ash eruptions on dairy farms from a study of the effects on a farm in eastern Bay of Plenty, New Zealand; implications for hazard mitigation

Wilson, Thomas; Cole, J. W.

doi:10.1007/s11069-007-9111-8

Cited by 26 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…The eruption occurred in August, at the end of winter, when pastoral farmers were already awaiting warmer spring growth conditions to replenish feed stocks and animals were in poor condition and particularly vulnerable to any stress (Wilson and Cole 2007). The winter of 1991 had been a particularly cold and stormy winter and most farms were overstocked, due to poor meat prices in the previous season.…”

Section: Livestock Impactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts on agriculture following the 1991 eruption of Vulcan Hudson, Patagonia: lessons for recovery

et al. 2010

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Large explosive eruptions have the potential to distribute heavy ashfalls across large areas, resulting in physical and chemical impacts on agriculture, and economic and psycho-social impacts on rural communities. This study investigates how affected agriculture and rural communities have adapted, absorbed and mitigated impacts following a range of ashfall thicknesses ([2 m-\1 mm) from the 12-15 August 1991 eruption of Vulcan Hudson, one of the largest eruptions of the twentieth century. An estimated 1 million livestock died after the eruption due to pasture burial by ashfall and ongoing suppression of vegetation recovery. Horticulturalists suffered ongoing damage to crops from wind-blown ash and changes to soil properties increased irrigation and cultivation requirements. Real or perceived impacts on human health and impacts on farm productivity from the ashfall resulted in evacuation of farms and small towns in the short term. Long-term farm abandonment occurred in areas of heavy ashfall (upper Ibáñez valley) and highly stressed farming systems, even where ashfall was relatively thin (\50 mm), such as the Argentine steppe. The mono-agricultural system of sheep farming in the steppe region had few options other than destocking, proving less resilient than the diverse high-intensity horticultural and pastoral mix in irrigated valleys, which allowed more rapid adaption through diversification of production. Farms with natural advantages and greater investment in capital improvements led to greater damage potential initially (at least in cost terms), but ultimately provided a greater capacity for response and recovery. Better soils,

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Section: Livestock Impactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts on agriculture following the 1991 eruption of Vulcan Hudson, Patagonia: lessons for recovery

et al. 2010

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“…[100 mm) of volcanic ash that will devastate crops, animal shelters and houses, but under small to moderate ash falls (i.e. \50 mm) farming will likely continue (Cook et al 1981;Wilson and Cole 2007).…”

Section: Volcanic Ashmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Volcanic ash fall may also cause a range of other impacts on the related infrastructure that modern farming systems rely upon (Wilson and Cole 2007).…”

Section: Other Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The high dependence of modern farming on electricity to pump water for irrigation, stock water supply and other key activities is a significant vulnerability (Wilson and Cole 2007) at an individual farm and regional scale. Short-term loss of power will affect all critical systems, but this will only become a severe impact on productivity if there are no local back-up systems (i.e.…”

Section: Vulnerability Of Electricity Supplymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These factors were investigated across eight case-study farms from the central North Island of New Zealand, a region of high agricultural productivity and high volcanic hazard ( Fig. 1; Wilson and Cole 2007;Wilson et al 2009a).…”

Section: Farm Water Supply Vulnerability Indexmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Vulnerability of farm water supply systems to volcanic ash fall

Wilson

Stewart²,

Cole

et al. 2009

Environ Earth Sci

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Agriculture is critically dependent on continuity of water quality and quantity. It is well-established that even small quantities of volcanic ash can disrupt municipal water supplies, with known impacts to quality including: acidification, increases in turbidity and ionic concentrations. In addition, delivery systems may be blocked or damaged by hard and abrasive suspended ash and related ash-cleanup operations place extra stress on water reserves. The aim of this study was to characterise the key areas of vulnerability of farm water supplies to volcanic ashfall, and to identify management recommendations to reduce these. From literature review and case studies of farms impacted by the 1991 Pinatubo (Philippines) and 1991 Hudson (Chile) eruptions, key issues were: sedimentation of irrigation ditches and drinking water ponds, turbidity induced abrasion of sprinkler nozzles and water pumps, and damage to electric pumps (by ash on air-intakes). Building on this, we characterised the water-use regimes and water supply system vulnerability of eight case-study farms from across the North Island, New Zealand. From this, we propose an index system to evaluate the vulnerability of farm water supply systems. The key contributors to the vulnerability index include: water source, storage capacity, reliance on electricity, independence/interconnectedness of system elements, volume of water use and other load factors. These allow identification of key strategies for mitigating water supply vulnerability during prevention, preparation, response and recovery phases of a volcanic eruption.

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Deposition and generation of multiple widespread fall units from the c. AD 1314 Kaharoa rhyolitic eruption, Tarawera, New Zealand

et al. 2014

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Potential impact of ash eruptions on dairy farms from a study of the effects on a farm in eastern Bay of Plenty, New Zealand; implications for hazard mitigation

Cited by 26 publications

References 16 publications

Impacts on agriculture following the 1991 eruption of Vulcan Hudson, Patagonia: lessons for recovery

Impacts on agriculture following the 1991 eruption of Vulcan Hudson, Patagonia: lessons for recovery

Vulnerability of farm water supply systems to volcanic ash fall

Deposition and generation of multiple widespread fall units from the c. AD 1314 Kaharoa rhyolitic eruption, Tarawera, New Zealand

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