Soil Science Commons^™

Geographe Bay Catchment Natural Resource Atlas, Sarah Weaving

All other publications

The Geographe Bay Catchment Atlas is one of a series of Natural Resource Atlases covering the agricultural region of Western Australia. The purpose of the Atlas is to provide data for people in local communities who manage or have an interest in natural resources. It is now realised that the various components of the land interact with each other and therefore need to be managed together. This Atlas is intended to present natural resource and land information in an accessible way to people of the area. It may act as a focus for catchment planning and provide a starting point …

Report On Degradation In The Southern River / Wungong Catchment. Perth, Western Australia, Brian Lloyd

Natural resources published reports

A five day field survey of degradation in the Southern River/Wungong Catchment revealed several areas of concern. Key concerns are:

- Erosion and Sedimentation

Various forms of water erosion were present that cumulatively, would probably have a significant effect on the water quality of the Canning (and Swan) River. Much of the water erosion results from the installation and maintenance of infrastructure and developments, e.g. roads, subdivisions, stormwater drains etc. Reviewing standard practices, raising of awareness of consequences of erosion and training in urban erosion and sediment control techniques is recommended. Wind erosion is also an issue on the sands …

An Inventory And Condition Survey Of The Sandstone-Yalgoo-Paynes Find Area, Western Australia, A L. Payne, A M E Van Vreeswyk, K A. Leighton, H J. Pringle, P Hennig

Technical Bulletins

The inventory and condition survey of the Sandstone-Yalgoo-Paynes Find area, undertaken by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) between 1992 and 1993, describes and maps the natural resources of the region’s pastoral leasehold land. This survey report provides a baseline record of the existence and condition of the area’s natural resources, to assist with the planning and implementation of land management practices. The report identified and described the condition of soils, landforms, vegetation, habitat, ecosystems, and declared plants and animals. It also assessed the impact of pastoralism and made land management recommendations. The area surveyed covers about …

Resource Use In The Trinational Sangha River Region Of Equatorial Africa: Histories, Knowledge Forms, And Institutions, Heather E. Eves, Rebecca Hardin, Stephanie Rupp

Yale School of the Environment Bulletin Series

This volume is based on an international conference, “Natural Resource Use Relations in the Trinational Sangha River Region of the Northwest Congo Basin,” held at Yale University in September 1997. In recognition of the bilingual context in which conservation occurs in the three countries of the Sangha region — Cameroon, Central African Republic, and Congo — all sessions of the conference were conducted simultaneously in French and English. This publication, which is a complete rendering of the conference papers and discussion sessions, is available in its entirety in both French and English.

Yuna Farm Improvement Group - Conservation Farm Planning Manual, Mike Clarke, Cecilia Mcconnell, Nancye Gannaway

Natural resources published reports

A landcare group formed on Tuesday, 30 June 1998 due to growing concern about land degradation. The main interests and objectives of the group where discuss and were outlined as follows:

1. Wind Erosion

2. Soil Acidity

3. Soil Degradation

4. Remnant Vegetation Decline

5. Tree Placement and Survival

6. Oil Mallees

7. Water Erosion

8. Non Wetting Soils

9. Salinity

10. Waterlogging

The first step toward addressing these issues was to organise two workshops with Mike Clarke, Cecilia McConnell and Nancye Gannaway from Agriculture Western Australia. The first workshop was held on the 4/8/98 and the second on the …

Bulletin 4333 - Furrow Sowing On Water Repellent Soils, Paul Blackwell, Grant Morrow

Bulletins 4000 -

This Bulletin discusses the benefits that furrow sowing brings to crop growth and production on water repellent sand, based on research and farm observations in Western Australian. By understanding the benefits and risks of several key processes, producers can better evaluate the potential role of furrow sowing in combating water repellency. This is true whether one is using direct drilling, no-till (narrow points or discs) or zero till (single, double or triple disc openers) methods.

Bulletin 4329 - Environmental Hazards Of Farming In Western Australia, Greg Hamilton, Ian Foster, Philip M. Goulding

Bulletins 4000 -

This Bulletin is one of a series on crop establishment practices which minimise soil disturbance and improve stubble retention. In partnership with primary producers, Agriculture Western Australia 1s focussed on improved and profitable farming which conserves or improves the quality of the State's soil resources.

Agricultural land in Western Australia is naturally fragile and susceptible to degradation. Salinity and wind erosion are the most visible and significant forms of degradation, but all forms are present over large areas of agricultural land (House of Representatives Enquiry into Land Degradation in Western Australia, 1988).

The fragility of Western Australia's soils has been …

Rangeland Reference Areas : Summary Of Cooperative Project Between The Western Australian Department Of Agriculture And The Environmental Protection Authority, D A. Blood

Resource management technical reports

The development of agriculture in south-western Australia has been characterised by the replacement of deep-rooted, perennial species of native vegetation with shallow-rooted, annual species. Except for the high rainfall areas, the native vegetation was able to intercept and transpire nearly all of the rainfall resulting in low stream flows and recharge to a groundwater system which was typically deep and restricted to the major valleys. The lack of surface or groundwater movement out of inland catchments used large quantities of cyclic salts to become stored in the regolith. Although annual crops and pastures can be high water users, they are …

Bulletin 4279 - Streamlining - An Environmentally Sustainable Drainage Network For The Swan Coastal Plain (Peel-Harvey Catchment), Garry Heady, Neil Guise

Bulletins 4000 -

Community Catchment Centre Pinjarra

A network of over 1400 kilometres of drains and modified natural waterways constructed by the Public Works Department criss-crosses the Peel-Harvey catchment. There are also over 3300 kilometres of minor drains and natural waterways in this same region.

The expansion of agriculture relied on this extensive drainage network, which was designed to ensure rapid drainage of the region. Unfortunately there was little regard to future environmental consequences.

Along with drainage water, these same drains now carry high loads of silt and nutrients. Many of the drains are also degraded and require expensive maintenance annually.

Bulletin 4278 - How To Use Wide Furrow Sowing For Improved Crop Production On Water Repellent Sand, Paul Blackwell, Grant Morrow, Tony Webster

Bulletins 4000 -

Wide furrow sowing is a method for successfully establishing crops of lupins or cereals on non-wetting sands, and improving crop establishment on non-repellent sands. The same principles can be used to assist establishment of fodder shrubs and long-term pasture (e.g. tagasaste and Rhodes grass).

An Inventory And Condition Survey Of The Murchison River Catchment, Western Australia, Peter James Curry, A L. Payne, K A. Leighton, P Hennig, D A. Blood

Technical Bulletins

The inventory and condition survey of the Murchison River catchment and surrounds, undertaken by the Department of Agriculture between 1985 and 1988, describes and maps the natural resources of the region’s pastoral leasehold land. This survey report provides a baseline record of the existence and condition of the natural area’s resources, to assist with the planning and implementation of land management practices. The report identified and described the condition of soils, landforms, vegetation, habitat, ecosystems, and declared plants and animals. It also assessed the impact of pastoralism and made land management recommendations. The area surveyed by field work during 1985-88 …

An Inventory And Condition Survey Of Rangelands In The North-Eastern Goldfields, Western Australia, H J. Pringle, S A. Gilligan, A M E Van Vreeswyk

Technical Bulletins

The inventory and condition survey of the north-eastern Goldfields, undertaken by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) between 1988 and 1990, describes and maps the natural resources of the region’s pastoral leasehold land. This survey report provides a baseline record of the existence and condition of the natural area’s resources, to assist with the planning and implementation of land management practices. The report identified and described the condition of soils, landforms, vegetation, habitat, ecosystems, and declared plants and animals. It also assessed the impact of pastoralism and made land management recommendations. The area surveyed covers about 100 …

No-Tillage Sowing Decreases Water Erosion On Loamy Soils And Increases Earthworm Activity, Kevin Bligh

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

No-tillage sowing places seed and fertiliser in the soil without loosening all of the topsoil. Soil is cultivated only in the sown rows, leaving the inter-row areas largely undisturbed.

No-tillage sowing reduces both wind and water erosion. Soil structure is generally improved, and pasture regeneration is increased because seed is not buried too deeply for re-establishment.

Two long-term trials were establis_hed on loamy soils to determine effects of tillage and cropping on runoff and soil loss.

Resource Inventory And Condition Survey Of The Ord River Regeneration Reserve, John De Salis

Natural resources published reports

It is now some 33 years since the Ord River Regeneration Project, the largest and most ambitious of its kind in Australian rangelands, commenced.

During this time there have been a number of publications and miscellaneous reports about the project, but this publication is by far the most comprehensive produced to date. Although the field work was undertaken in 1981, the findings recorded here will stand in a good stead as a detailed account and reference work for years to come.

Much has changed within the Regeneration Reserve area since the project commenced. Cattle and feral donkey numbers have finally …

The Hydrology Of Shallow And Deep Aquifers In Relation To Secondary Soil Salinisation In Southwestern Australia, Richard J. George, Arthur J. Conacher

Natural Resources Research Articles

Results are reported from detailed research which has been carried out since 1984 on several Western Australian wheatbelt catchments, ranging in size from 12 ha to 1000 km2, in order to quantify the nature and roles of groundwater aquifers in relation to secondary salinisation. Secondary soil salinisation in the semi-arid wheatbelt has increased by 600% over the past 34 years to 440 000 ha, and is likely to increase by at least another 500% in the next 30-50 years. Changes in groundwater hydrology following the replacement of the native, woodland vegetation with agricultural crops and pastures during this century, have …

Integrated Catchment Management : Upper Denmark Catchment, R Ferdowsian, K J. Greenham

Resource management technical reports

The project mapped the landforms and land management units on cleared parts of the catchment ; defined the extent of, processes causing and options for solving the salinity problem in the Upper Denmark Catchment; developed a catchment management plan that would reverse the increasing soil and stream salinity trend within the catchment; encouraged and assisted the landholders to adopt the plan; and applied the results of the study to other areas.

Stubble Handling Begins At Harvest, Ed Blanchard

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Long stubble left in the paddock after harvest causes major difficulties at seeding time. To demonstrate the benefits of having short stubble at seeding, the Trayning Land Conservation District Committee created four stubble treatments at harvest in 1988 and sowed into these stubble treatments in 1989.

Cost Effective Stubble Retention Practices, Andrew Green, Ed Blanchard

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

To increase the rate of adoption of stubble retention farming systems the Grains Research and Development Corporation is funding a three-year project with the Farm Machinery Unit to develop low cost, stubble handling systems from harvest to seeding

The Pros & Cons Of Retaining Stubble, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Few farmers in Western Australia today would question the desirability of retaining crop stubble. The problem usually is how to manage stubble so that it does not interfere with other parts of the farming system

How Stubble Affects Organic Matter, Plants And Animals In The Soil, Judy Tisdall

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Cereal yields have not increased greatly in Australia over the past 30 years and they are still only about half the potential determined by rainfall. One of the reasons for these low yields is our fragile soils, worsened by traditional systems of tillage and the burning of stubble. These systems reduce the levels of organic matter and biological activity in soil

Environmental Radiocesium In Subarctic And Arctic Alaska Following Chernobyl, M. Baskaran, J. J. Kelley, A. S. Naidu, D. F. Holleman

Environmental Science and Geology Faculty Research Publications

Radiocesium (¹³⁴ Cs and ¹³⁷ Cs) concentrations were measured in soil, plant and wildlife samples from subarctic to arctic Alaska. Concentrations of ¹³⁷ Cs ranged from below detectable or low levels in whale and fish samples to as high as 242 Bq/kg in lichen. For all potential human food items, the radiocesium concentrations measured in this study were below accepted permissible levels for human consumption. Chernobyl-derived radiocesium concentrations ranged from below detectable or low levels in all arctic samples (soil, sediment, lichen, whale, fish and caribou) to 32 Bq/kg in subarctic moss. Therefore the distribution and subsequent deposition of Chernobyl-derived …

Variable Quality Of Saltbush Seed Influences Establishment, Stephen Vlahos, Donald Nicholas, Clive Malcolm

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Farmers are using niche seeders to direct-seed saltbushes (Atriplex spp.) cheaply on large areas of salt affected land. While many factors influence successful establishment of these shrubs, fanners can control the quality of the seed they use. Too often, the lack of knowledge of saltbush seed quality has resulted in extremely poor establishment. The importance of seed quality is well recognized in the establishment of grain crops and pastures, but it is often overlooked when farmers buy or select seed of saltbush. If farmers know the quality of the seed they buy, they can make appropriate adjustments to the sowing …

Reclaiming Sandplain Seeps Planting Trees, Richard George

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Sandplain seeps affect large areas of agricultural land in Western Australia's eastern and northern wheatbelt and in the Great Southern. These seeps are estimated to account for about 10 per cent of dryland salinity in the agricultural area. Research and field observations show that seeps may be cheaply and quickly reclaimed using various types of drains or small blocks of trees (George 1990). This article discusses results of reclamation methods associated with tree planting on sandplain seeps in the eastern wheatbelt.

Trees And Livestock : A Productive Co-Existence, Richard Moore

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Trees, as part of farming can help to combat land degradation problems and produce a good economic return from timber at the same time. For example, there is now clear evidence that planting trees can help combat salinity by lowering water-table levels. Trees can also substantially improve overall farm productivity by providing shelter for pastures and livestock. The challenge is to find practical and economical methods of integrating trees and farming. A combination of widely-spaced trees and livestock is one promising method. This article describes the benefits of this type of agroforestry to farmers, suitable locations and how to practice …

Unique Co-Operative Landcare Venture In The Avon Catchment, Darrel Brewin, John Collett

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The Avon catchment is bustling with landcare activity generated by a unique co-operative venture between farmers, the Department of Agriculture, the National Soil Conservation Program and Alcoa of Australia Ltd. The Avon Catchment Landcare Program was initiated by the Department of Agriculture and Alcoa, in support of the national Decade ofLandcare. The program provides financial, human and technical resources to undertake catchment and farm planning and demonstrations of rehabilitation techniques that tackle soil and water degradation problems. We know that without specially planned landcare programs and substantial changes in land management, land degradation will continue and further losses of agricultural …

Using Trees To Reclaim Land Lost To Saline Seeps, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia, Arthur Wright

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The National Soil Conservation Program (NSCP) has tapped the vigorous community support for landcare initiatives through its demonstration sites for reclaiming sandplain seeps in the Western Australian wheatbelt. The demonstrations, which use tree plantations to reclaim seeps, began in 1989. The sites are being keenly monitored by participating farmers and members of land conservation districts (LCDs).

Regenerating The Rangelands, Adrian Williams, Ron Shepherd

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Parts of Western Australia's rangelands have been degraded by inappropriately high stocking rates, often associated with large numbers of native or feral animals, poor seasonal plant growth, or the ravages of cyclones, floods or fire. Today, most pastoralists are keen to rehabilitate the degradation of the past, as indicated by the proliferation of Land Conservation Districts (LCDs) throughout the pastoral zones.

There is no 'quick fix' to regenerating the rangelands. It may take many years to achieve the desired result.

The Tammin Alcoa Landcare Education Centre, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The town is home of the Tanimin Alcoa Landcare Education Centre. This is an ambitious concept by the Shire of Tammin and the Tammin Action Group to use the whole shire to demonstrate land conservation practices on farms, and to show urban and other communities what Western Australia's farmers are doing to conserve the land and practise sustainable agriculture.

The 1989 Saltland Survey, Richard George

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

In March 1989, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) surveyed farmers in Western Australia to determine the area of previously arable land that was now too saline for conventional agriculture. Farmers reported that 443,441 ha, or 2.83 per cent, of the 15.7 million hectares of cleared farm land in south-western Australia, was saline. This was an increase of about 180,000 ha on the 1979 survey figure.

The worst affected areas were in the 350 mm to 600 mm rainfall zone and included the Shires of Tammin (9.26 per cent arable area saline), Katanning (7.96 per cent), Goomalling (7.93 per cent), …

Plantscan, Ted Lefroy, Fritz Droge

Natural resources published reports

PLANTSCAN is a network of schools and landholders throughout the wheatbelt of Western Australia. It aims to speed up the process of testing plants for their suitability to this environment.

This kit contains seed of various trees and shrubs and notes on how to grow them, plant them out into a small plot and record their progress.

Schools and landholders throughout the wheatbelt who have purchased this kit become part of a research network aimed at selecting plants that will:

* overcome soil erosion;

* overcome soil salinity;

* and provide a source of income for farmers.

The following sheets …