SPOT Satellite imagery was used to assess the effect of a single storm in terms of the increase in bare ground by comparing 1986 SPOT XS and 1988 SPOT PAN imagery for the major forests of Mangatu. Tokomaru and Ruatoria of the Gisborne East Coast. New Zealand DRAGON software was used on a personal computer to enhance, register and classify eleven selected sub-images, each of which covered an area planted with Pinus radiata in one of four different age classes.