What are the impacts of dryland salinity?
Salt near the soil surface makes it harder for plants to take water from the soil and eventually they die from dehydration. With agricultural crops, a yield loss of up to 30% can occur before the evidence of salinity becomes visible. Salinity rarely occurs in isolation from other natural resource problems. This accumulation of salt usually results in the death of native vegetation, causing a loss of biodiversity. Introduced pastures and crops fail to thrive or die leaving patches of soil with no ground cover. The bare areas create a soil erosion hazard. Salt crystals can often be observed on these bare areas. The salts are dissolved by rainwater and washed into nearby watercourses, causing river salinity.What is being done? Dryland salinity management is most effective when implemented over a whole catchment or sub-catchment as integrated works programs. The best combination of salinity management practices will vary for each catchment. Catchment Management Authorities are responsible
