Trees were once seen as a hindrance to agricultural production and development, particularly in intensive irrigation areas. It was felt that they occupied productive land, competed with crops and pastures for moisture, as well as making machinery operation more difficult.
This has resulted in the clearing of most of the areas of native forest in farming areas in Australia.
The deeper root zone of the natural vegetation meant that more water was available to and used by the roots of trees and shrubs and less seeped through to the watertable. Replacing trees with shallower rooted pastures and crops has led to an imbalance in the amount of water entering the soil and the amount leaving it through evapotranspiration.
This has meant that watertable levels have risen substantially over the years. Salinisation and waterlogging of productive areas has often followed.
Irrigation has been introduced to large areas of southern NSW . This has made the groundwater problem even worse, as more water is added to the watertable through poor irrigation management and a lack of adequate drainage in many areas.
Well planned tree planting is now widely recognised as a partial means of restoring an environmental balance, especially when used along with other land management techniques.
This document, the first in a series of three about tree planting in irrigation areas, aims to show the importance of planting trees in irrigation areas, and will outline the benefits that can result from this.
It should be emphasised that tree planting, particularly for high watertable and salinity management, cannot be viewed in isolation. To be effective, tree planting needs to be used in conjunction with other management practices, including improved soil, water and crop management.
This has resulted in the clearing of most of the areas of native forest in farming areas in Australia.
The deeper root zone of the natural vegetation meant that more water was available to and used by the roots of trees and shrubs and less seeped through to the watertable. Replacing trees with shallower rooted pastures and crops has led to an imbalance in the amount of water entering the soil and the amount leaving it through evapotranspiration.
This has meant that watertable levels have risen substantially over the years. Salinisation and waterlogging of productive areas has often followed.
Irrigation has been introduced to large areas of southern NSW . This has made the groundwater problem even worse, as more water is added to the watertable through poor irrigation management and a lack of adequate drainage in many areas.
Well planned tree planting is now widely recognised as a partial means of restoring an environmental balance, especially when used along with other land management techniques.
This document, the first in a series of three about tree planting in irrigation areas, aims to show the importance of planting trees in irrigation areas, and will outline the benefits that can result from this.
It should be emphasised that tree planting, particularly for high watertable and salinity management, cannot be viewed in isolation. To be effective, tree planting needs to be used in conjunction with other management practices, including improved soil, water and crop management.
No comments:
Post a Comment