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Nurturing
the land
Australian soils are in crisis. Salinity and erosion
are threatening to destroy an area of land that, in
total, is equal to the size of Victoria. Farming techniques
appropriate for Europe's richer, younger soils have
caused the damage. The variety of native plants and
animals, known as biodiversity, helps keep soils and
rivers healthy. As a result of land clearing, this variety
is decreasing.
We
all depend on the land for food, water, clothing and
housing materials. In this section see how farmers and
scientists are developing land use systems that are
better matched to the diverse climates, soils and water
flows across the country.
"Nearly
six million hectares of Australia's productive farmland
are at risk or are already affected by salinity",
says Dr John Williams of CSIRO Land and Water.
http://www.csiro.au/
Photo by Powerhouse Museum (Jean-Francois Lanzarone)
Farmers fight for their land
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David
Marsh on his farm near Boorowa.
Photo
by Powerhouse Museum (Jean-Francois Lanzarone)
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David
Marsh became aware of dryland salinity on their
farm at Boorowa 20 years ago. David and Mary Marsh
started revegetating the farm, changed the shapes
of paddocks, established saline pastures and changed
sheep grazing patterns. They have increased the
number of crops they grow each year in order to
use the annual rainfall as it hits the ground. Its
natural wealth and future value has increased. A
wide variety of native birds and
other wildlife has returned. And water flowing off
the farm carries much less salt to the Boorowa River.
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