The Five Key Measurements We Use to Assess Regeneration
“What gets measured, gets managed”.
Peter Drucker
When we talk about regeneration on our site or practising regenerative agriculture, what does that really mean? And how can we tell if that is what we are actually doing?
We can have all the good intentions in the world but what if we aren’t actually making a difference? We know that there are numerous approaches that work to improve environmental health but with every site being different, there is no way to know what will work for us without applying some science and actually recording our results.
So that is what we are going to do. Take key measurements across the site for things that will tell us whether what we are doing is actually getting us where we want to go.
The Regeneration Start Point
Our site is a combination of steep ex-dairy and ex-forestry land, nearly 400m above sea level. A lifestyle block that a few decades ago was primarily grazed by cattle, then for a single rotation – planted out with pine trees before being subdivided and sold off with trees removed about 15 years ago.
There are two small platforms and about 500m of tracks that have been carved into the slope for various purposes, primarily access and housing. These areas in particular have no topsoil to speak of and small areas still have not regrown any vegetation due to erosion & dry soils with no organic matter.
In other areas there is some topsoil but initial observations show no real signs of soil life. No earthworms, no obvious fungal networks and the soil is mid-dark brown rather than the rich black we would like to see.
The underlying soils are a combination of pumice and ash with some clay content in places. The dominance of pumice means that drainage is not an issue, we don’t tend to get waterlogging but the soil does dry out quickly over summer with little organic matter to hold moisture and no significant shade cover to help keep ground temperatures down either.
What there is in existing ground cover, other than grass, is mostly bracken, blackberry and other unruly vines which seem to provide a great home for the local rabbit population! We do have a number of wilding pines due to a neighbouring forestry block and some small areas that are regenerating naturally with native plant species. The pines are slowly being removed for firewood, charcoal and mulch while we are using the native plant stands as a model of what grows well here (like these Kotukutuku).
What will success look like?
Success is a pretty subjective thing and will look different to everyone but for us, we have a vision of being surrounded by trees. Productive, native, useful trees that will provide habitat and food for native wildlife as well as food, fuel and fibre for us and our local community. A diverse oasis of crops in a sea of pine forests, kiwifruit orchards and dairy farms.
We believe this can be achieved in a way that is not just productive, but in the spirit of Permaculture, also beneficial to the land, general environment and the wider community. In terms of the benefits we can measure on site, we will be looking for:
- An increasing topsoil layer with lots of life. Earthworms, fungi and numerous other microbes.
- Soil rich in organic matter that holds moisture through summer reducing irrigation requirements.
- Plants that thrive without fertiliser or irrigation. Achieving good levels of production without the added costs of external inputs.
- Nutrient dense, abundant food production. Food that tastes good and is good for you.
- Increased biodiversity, especially native species.
- A natural balance of pest and predators
- Reduced incidence of ‘weed’ species.
Key metrics
While we anticipate that certain factors of success will be anecdotally evident over time, we would also like to have concrete evidence of the changes as they occur. Ideally this evidence can help convince others that making similar changes is worthwhile.
The following factors have been chosen for their ease and repeatability of measurement as well as their importance for the ecosystem.
- Brix levels of the produce. Brix measures dissolved sugars and is a useful indicator of plant health as well as taste and nutrient content of produce. Higher brix levels indicate higher carbohydrate content as a start point but also higher mineral & oil content & protein quality. It is also well known that higher brix levels indicate better resistance to pests and disease. Check out this article here for a summary of what Brix measures and how that can be used to assess produce quality.
- Topsoil depth/organic layer depth – in the interests of building soil health, organic matter provides food for the soil web. It holds moisture to help plants get through the summer months and also soaks up rain during storm events to prevent downstream flooding.
- Soil pH – to allow us to balance any pH issues andtailor acidity/alkalinity to plants that have specific requirements
- Soil Moisture – Our biggest issue is soil drying out so being able to increase moisture levels is critical to the health & wellbeing of our plants. To us it is also a form of rainwater harvesting – keeping water on our site instead of letting it run off.
- Earthworm count – general indicator of soil life. We will also look for the presence of fungi & other soil life.
Measurement method
In order to incorporate a certain amount of scientific process to our measurements, we will apply the same methods each year. The processes used and the results gathered will then be documented.
Soil based measurements taken will be in specific repeatable locations relative to the positions of productive trees. This will allow for correlation of soil data to the brix results of produce adjacent. The tree will also provide a long term marker of the test site.
Baseline tests will be taken before areas are developed into food forest except in areas where we have already started planting. These areas will be referenced with the number of years they have already been in production prior to measurements commencing.
Soil Moisture will be measured seasonally to establish trends throughout the year. Other soil readings will be taken once a year during winter when autumn pruning and leaf drop has had the opportunity to start breaking down. This will also coincide well with the time of year that new planting areas will be developed, allowing good coordination with baseline measurements.
Brix levels will be taken when produce is in season. Multiple samples will be taken from the same tree and averaged to give a more reliable result.
Other indicators
In addition to the numeric indicators outlined above we also hope to see a reduced incidence of plant pests and disease, an increased variety and density of native wildlife, increased plant production, the natural reproduction of plants and cooler temperatures over summer as tree shade starts to have an impact.
The baseline
With winter now here, it is nearly time to start taking baseline measurements and start development and planting of new areas of food forest. While the results are for our own interest at this stage, they will also be published here so keep an eye out for a post later in winter with the results of the first soil tests.