WELLINGTON, April 10 (Xinhua) -- A Wednesday report showed how the ways land was used had wide-ranging effects on diverse ecosystems and the biodiversity they support.

The report, a three-yearly update about the state of land in New Zealand, highlighted natural assets and infrastructure's impacts on economies, homes, resilience to disasters, cultural identity and public health.

"Our communities and economies are at risk if we do not protect our natural ecosystems and landscapes," said the report by the Ministry for the Environment and the statistics department Stats NZ.

Ecosystems, such as soil, indigenous forests, wetlands, flood plains and dunes, are the foundational natural assets and infrastructure that underpin New Zealand's economy, help to protect people against disasters, and support public health, said the Ministry for the Environment's Deputy Secretary Natasha Lewis.

These services include supporting the food sector, reducing soil erosion, draining catchments, and protecting coastal areas against storm surges and sea level rise, Lewis said.

Soil is crucially important because it is the foundation for other natural infrastructure, and plays a vital role in the economy, she said, adding soil is a strategic asset.

But degrading or developing over natural infrastructure increases the food and fiber sector's susceptibility to soil erosion, pests, diseases and the effects of climate change and extreme weather, Lewis said, citing damage to the sector from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland floods.

Five percent of New Zealand's land is classified as highly erodible land and at risk of mass-movement erosion, according to a recent Stats NZ report.

The availability of urban green spaces which soak up stormwater, improve air quality and provide recreational areas that support wellbeing, is not keeping pace with urban expansion, Lewis said, adding private green space is also declining, because of a shift towards denser infill housing and smaller sections.

Expected population growth and intensification could potentially reduce private green space in Auckland's urban area by 5 percent to 10 percent, about 3,000 hectares, over the next two decades, she said. Enditem

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