Academic literature on the topic 'Soils, Salts in – Western Australia'
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Journal articles on the topic "Soils, Salts in – Western Australia"
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Biggs, Andrew J. W., and Peter Binns. "Soil morphological and chemical profiles adjacent to a bore drain in south-western Queensland, Australia." Soil Research 53, no. 3 (2015): 325. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr14195.
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A recently abandoned artesian bore drain in south-western Queensland was sampled to investigate soil morphology and chemistry under, and adjacent to, the drain. Such drains are supplied with alkaline, sodium-rich artesian groundwater and they provide a long-term example of the impacts of these waters on soils. A Red Kandosol and a Grey Vertosol were sampled, in the drain and at 2, 4 and 25 m perpendicular to the drain. Morphological attributes indicative of long-term saturation, such as mottling, were evident around the drains, but were absent at the control sites (25 m away). At the Kandosol location, pH and exchangeable sodium were elevated within 4 m of the drain, and salinity data suggested a horizontally displaced wetting front at ~4 m from the drain. In the Grey Vertosol, which was naturally saline and sodic below 0.5 m, substantial leaching of salts had occurred around the drain, but a horizontal wetting front was also evident and exchangeable sodium was increased within 4 m of the drain. A thin, weak pan was detected in the subsoil of the Red Kandosol under the drain bank, but pans were otherwise absent under the drains. The results indicate that deep drainage is a feature not only of the Red Kandosol, but also the Grey Vertosol, despite it being sodic and despite the application of sodic, alkaline water. The findings reiterate the importance of investigating soil and water chemistry interactions when designing channels, storages and irrigation systems, in particular those using sodic–saline waters.
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Hick, PT, and WGR Russell. "Some spectral considerations for remote sensing of soil salinity." Soil Research 28, no. 3 (1990): 417. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr9900417.
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The National Soil Conservation Program (NSCP) and CSIRO funded a research project titled Remote Sensing of Agricultural Salinity, which gathered field and airborne reflectance data for study sites in areas of dryland agricultural salinity in Western Australia. Multivariate techniques are employed to analyse these data gathered over a 3-year period to determine optimum, spectral and temporal considerations for maximizing information content. This report concentrates on some of the spectral aspects and concludes that: spectral bands, existing in currently available remote sensing systems, may not be optimal for the delineation of salinity; that volunteer vegetation indicated the impact of increasing salinity; and that minor amounts of soluble salts in surface soils will modify spectra. The usefulness of portable field spectroradiometers and airborne scanning systems are also assessed for the discrimination of areas of land in the early stages of the effects of salinization.
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Cochrane, HR, G. Scholz, and AME Vanvreswyk. "Sodic soils in Western Australia." Soil Research 32, no. 3 (1994): 359. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr9940359.
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Sodic soils are common throughout Western Australia, particularly in the south-west agricultural area where they occur mainly as duplex or gradational profiles. Soils with sodic properties are dominant in 26% of the state; saline-sodic sediments and soils in intermittent streams, lakes and estuarine plains occupy a further 5%. Sodic soils are moderately common throughout the south and western portion of the rangeland areas (38% of the state). The south-west coastal sands and the desert and rangeland soils to the north and east of the state are rarely sodic. Although sodicity has been recognized as a discrete problem in W.A. soils since the 1920s, the extent and severity of sodicity has been satisfactorily described only for small areas of the state and most land managers are unaware of the role sodicity plays in limiting the productivity of their soils. Sodicity is implicated in a diversity of problems for both agricultural and non-agricultural uses of Western Australian soils. Subsoil impermeability is probably the most widespread of these, but no comprehensive, quantitative assessment of the influence of exchangeable sodium on subsoil properties has been undertaken. Topsoil sodicity is much less extensive but can severely restrict land productivity, particularly on sandy loam and finer textured soils which set hard when dry. The physical behaviour of Western Australian topsoils cannot usefully be predicted from measurements of exchangeable sodium alone because soils differ so greatly in their response to changing exchangeable sodium. Some remain structurally stable at ESP values >15 while others are so 'sodium-sensitive' that they exhibit highly dispersive behaviour at ESP values as low as 2%. Land values over much of the dryland farming and pastoral areas of W.A. do not justify sustained use of amendments which would reduce soil exchangeable sodium contents. Efficient management of sodic soils in these areas must rely on the prevention of degradation and the use of biological and physical means to maintain adequate soil physical properties. Effective restoration of degraded sodic soils, however, often does require application of inorganic amendments in combination with tillage to initiate structural recovery. Sodicity is currently not considered to be a problem at any of the three main irrigation areas in W.A., but all have sodic soil within their potentially irrigable lands, which may limit their future expansion.
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ANAND, R. R., and R. J. GILKES. "Iron oxides in lateritic soils from Western Australia." Journal of Soil Science 38, no. 4 (December 1987): 607–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2389.1987.tb02158.x.
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Riley, I. T., and S. J. Kelly. "Endoparasitic nematodes in cropping soils of Western Australia." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 42, no. 1 (2002): 49. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea01054.
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Soil samples were collected in Western Australia from cereal fields at about harvest time to determine levels of the endoparasitic nematodes, Pratylenchus and Heterodera. A systematic survey in 1997 and 1998 centred on the 40 shires with the highest proportion of cereal cropping. One hundred and eighty samples were collected in 1997 and 227 in 1998 at 10-km intervals along north–south transects 35 km apart. A targeted survey in 1997 included 98 soil samples from fields selected by growers as having poor productivity without an evident cause. No Heterodera cysts were found in any survey sample but these could be extracted from soils previously known to be infested. Pratylenchus neglectus was most commonly detected followed by P. thornei and P. zeae. Populations identified as P. brachyurus, P. penetrans, P. scribneri, and an undescribed species similar to P. thornei were also found. Overall Pratylenchus was extracted from 63% of samples (mean 1.1, median 0.3, max. 22.0/mL of soil). Maps of the data indicate that Pratylenchus populations were aggregated with some areas having relatively light infestations. There was a positive relationship with the intensity of cereal cropping and a negative relationship with pulse cropping. The findings indicate that potentially damaging Pratylenchus numbers occur in a significant proportion of fields and highlight the need to develop and implement strategies to lower population densities.
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Chartres, CJ. "Sodic soils - an introduction to their formation and distribution in Australia." Soil Research 31, no. 6 (1993): 751. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr9930751.
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This paper briefly summarizes existing Australian data about causes of sodicity and the distribution of sodic soils in Australia. Sources of salts and sodium include atmospheric accession, salts released by weathering processes and saline groundwaters. A traditional model of sodic soil pedogenesis is contrasted with more recent data demonstrating the role of several factors including mineralogy, EC/ESP relationships and exchangeable magnesium percentage on development and behaviour of sodic soils. Limited data about the national distribution of sodic soils are presented. There has been very little recent innovative research in Australia to increase understanding of soils affected by sodicity. A number of research needs are indicated.
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Ward, P. R., and F. X. Dunin. "Growing season evapotranspiration from duplex soils in south-western Australia." Agricultural Water Management 50, no. 2 (September 2001): 141–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0378-3774(01)00092-0.
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Gardner, WK, RG Fawcett, GR Steed, JE Pratley, DM Whitfield, Hvan Rees, and Rees H. Van. "Crop production on duplex soils in south-eastern Australia." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 32, no. 7 (1992): 915. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea9920915.
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The environment, duplex soil types and trends in crop production in South Australia, southern New South Wales, north-eastern and north-central Victoria, the southern Wimmera and the Victorian Western District are reviewed. In the latter 2 regions, pastoral industries dominate and crop production is curtailed by regular and severe soil waterlogging, except for limited areas of lower rainfall. Subsurface drainage can eliminate waterlogging, but is feasible only for the Western District where subsoils are sufficiently stable. The other regions all have a long history of soil degradation due to cropping practices, but these effects can now be minimised with the use of direct drilling and stubble retention cropping methods. A vigorous pasture ley phase is still considered necessary to maintain nitrogen levels and to restore soil structure to adequate levels for sustainable farming. Future productivity improvements will require increased root growth in the subsoils. Deep ripping, 'slotting' of gypsum, and crop species capable of opening up subsoils are techniques which may hold promise in this regard. The inclusion of lucerne, a perennial species, in annual pastures and intercropping at intervals is a technique being pioneered in north-central and western Victoria and may provide the best opportunity to crop duplex soils successfully without associated land degradation.
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Turner, NC. "Crop production on duplex soils: an introduction." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 32, no. 7 (1992): 797. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea9920797.
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Duplex or texture-contrast soils occur over about 60% of the agricultural areas of south-west Western Australia. Annual crops of wheat, barley, oats, and lupins predominate on these soils, grown in rotation with annual pastures. The climate is characterised by cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers. Crop production is restricted to the winter and spring and is limited by waterlogging in the wet winter months and by water shortage during grain filling in spring. Research on crop production on duplex soils has been undertaken for the past 8 years by a collaborative team from the CSIRO Dryland Crops andyoils Program and the Western Australian Department of Agriculture. This research has been focussed on 3 sites at which processes limiting crop production on duplex soils have been highlighted. This special issue was initiated to summarise that research and to put it in its regional and national perspective. Additionally, opportunity was taken to compare and contrast experiences both within Western Australia and throughout Australia, and to draw out management options for crop production on duplex soils.
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Armour, JD, GSP Ritchie, and AD Robson. "Extractable zinc in particle size fractions of soils from Western-Australia and Queensland." Soil Research 28, no. 3 (1990): 387. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/sr9900387.
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The zinc (Zn) content of particle size fractions of 12 mainly Zn deficient soils was measured by extraction with three contrasting extractants. The soils, which ranged from sands to a black earth, were from Western Australia and Queensland and particle size fractions (clay, silt, fine sand, coarse sand) were obtained by sieving and sedimentation after ultrasonification of soil suspended in deionized water. The extractants were concentrated HNO3/H2SO4/HClO4 (acid extractable or AE-Zn), DTPA and 0.002 M CaCl2. For each extractant, Zn contents of the fractions and whole soils were correlated with organic carbon and ammonium oxalate extractable Fe and Al. The AE-Zn concentrations in whole soils were 0.6-132 mg kg-1 and high clay soils had higher concentrations (mean 54 mg kg-1) than low clay soils (mean 2 mg kg-1). After fractionation, lowest AE- and DTPA-Zn were found in coarse sand fractions and concentrations increased with decreasing particle size. Clay plus silt fractions contained 60-99% of the whole soil AE-Zn and 76-93% of the whole soil DTPA-Zn. The CaCl2-Zn concentrations were very low (<5.0 �g kg-1) for all soils. In whole soils, DTPA-Zn was only a small proportion, 3.2% and 1.8%, of the AE-Zn in the low clay and high clay soils, respectively. The CaCl2-Zn was generally less than 2% of the DTPA-Zn in whole soils. In whole soils, AE-Zn was correlated with oxalate extractable Fe and with oxalate A1 (r = 0.72 and 0.71, respectively; P <0.01), whereas DTPA-Zn was correlated with oxalate extractable Fe (r = 0.82; P < 0.01). The AE- and DTPA-Zn were correlated with organic carbon only in some fractions. The DTPA- and CaCl2-Zn were not correlated with AE-Zn content, nor was DPTA-Zn correlated with CaCl2-Zn in whole soils or fractions (P<0.05). Dispersion of the soils with ultrasonification in the absence of dispersing agents was not as effective as dispersion with conventional mechanical/chemical dispersion. The percentage of the soil recovered in the clay fraction after sonification was 23-78% of that recovered by the conventional method. Fine and coarse sand contents were similar for either method, indicating that incomplete dispersion of clay by ultrasonification resulted in higher silt contents.
Dissertations / Theses on the topic "Soils, Salts in – Western Australia"
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Farrell, Claire. "Leaf-litter and microsite on seedling recruitment in an alley-planted E. sargentii and Atriplex spp. saline agricultural system." University of Western Australia. School of Plant Biology, 2008. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2008.0110.
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[Truncated abstract] In order to assess the sustainability of mixed plantings on saline land, this thesis examined the importance of leaf-litter trapping and microsites on recruitment in a salt affected alley-belted (tree/shrub) agricultural system in Western Australia. Located in the low rainfall region (MAR <330 mm) of the wheatbelt, the 60 ha site consists of concentric rows of Eucalyptus sargentii trees with mounded (6 - 11 cm high) 10 -15 m inter-rows of Atriplex spp. Sustainability of this system and fulfilment of productive and ameliorative functions is dependant on successful recruitment (perennials). Although the present study site was conducted on farmland in a Mediterranean-type climate, low annual rainfall and spatial arrangement of perennial shrubs and trees, allow useful comparisons to be made with naturally occurring banded semi-arid systems and vice-versa. Of key interest were leaf-litter redistribution and trapping by tree and shrub rows and whether litter-cover/microsites facilitated/interfered with seedling recruitment (establishment, growth and survival). Litter from the tree row, redistributed by prevailing winds and rain, accumulated adjacent to saltbush seeding mounds, creating a mosaic of bare and littered areas across the site (total litter 10 t/ha over 22 months). Accumulated litter was hypothesized to differentially influence seasonal soil abiotic parameters (depending on litter-cover density) including; salinity, water availability, infiltration rates, water repellency and temperature. These abiotic conditions were also hypothesized to vary between tree and shrub microsites. Biotically, recruitment at this site was also hypothesized to be determined by interactions (positive and negative) between perennial components and understorey annuals/perennial seedlings. Accumulation of litter and resultant heterogeneity was influenced by shrub morphology, microtopography, wind direction and distance from litter source, with increased litter on the leeward sides of hemispherical Atriplex undulata shrubs and shrubs closest to tree rows. ... The importance of tree/shrub microsites varied seasonally, with no influence in winter due to moderate temperatures and increased water availability. In warmer months saltbush mid-row microsites were most favourable for seedling recruitment due to moderate litter-cover; reducing salinity, temperatures and increasing infiltration; and reduced root-competition/shading by the tree row. Tree microsites also directly inhibited seedling recruitment through increased salinities and water repellency. However, trees also indirectly facilitated recruitment in adjacent areas through provision of leaf-litter. As litter-trapping and recruitment patterns at this site mirror those found in semi-arid natural and artificial systems, the results of this study provide useful insights into creating appropriate mimics of low rainfall natural banded woodland and chenopod shrublands. Saltbush seeding mounds, shrub morphology and litter were key components for litter trapping and recruitment heterogeneity at this site. In this tree/shrub alley planting, where litter quantities directly influence vegetation cover densities, future saline plantings need to consider appropriate tree/shrub row spacings and orientation for efficient resource (seeds, litter and water) capture.
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McDonald, Kathi. "Variation in morphology, salinity and waterlogging tolerance and resource allocation in strawberry clover (Trifolium fragiferum L.) : implications for its use in mildly saline soils in southern Australian farming systems." University of Western Australia. School of Plant Biology, 2009. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2009.0105.
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[Truncated abstract] In southern Australian farming systems the replacement of deep-rooted perennial native vegetation with shallow-rooted annual crops and pastures has resulted in rising groundwater tables and an increased incidence of dryland salinity. It has been suggested that to address this issue by restoring hydrological balance, large areas of agricultural land need to be vegetated with perennial plants. One of the most agriculturally productive ways to do this is to introduce perennial pastures, both into upslope groundwater
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Cleland, Jonelle. "Western Australia's salinity investment framework : a study of priority setting in policy and practice." University of Western Australia. School of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 2008. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2009.0120.
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In March 2002 the Western Australian Minister for Environment and Heritage adopted a policy framework to guide investment decisions on salinity management. Promoted as Western Australia's Salinity Investment Framework (or the SIF), it offered a set of principles for prioritising investment decisions that were generally grounded in economic theory. This represented a significant landmark in terms of the government's appreciation of the scale of salinity problem and its acknowledgement that a full turnaround in the situation was beyond the reach of both volunteers and the public purse. The evolution of the SIF policy, including an initial trial in the Avon Basin, provided an opportunity to evaluate pre-policy processes; observe policy on the run; and test stakeholder reactions to the investment principles embodied in the the SIF, as well as their reaction to its implied outcomes. The intention of the study was to highlight any barriers standing in the way of effectively implementing a policy to prioritise investments in salinity management and identify any novel approaches developed in an attempt to overcome them. The evaluation was multifaceted to incorporate retrospective and prospective modes of inquiry. The retrospective investigation involved the construction of a series of policy narratives using evidence from notes and minutes taken at SIF meetings, as well as other formal and informal documents. It systematically captured the influence of key people, events and decisions on the SIF up until June 2008. This evaluation highlighted the impact of (1) policy entrepreneurs; (2) time lags; (3) vertical silos, and (4) priority setting hierarchies. The prospective investigation involved the execution of a community survey featuring attitudinal questions, paired comparisons and a choice modelling experiment. The survey involved 269 personal interviews with rural landholders, townspeople and landcare officers across the Avon Catchment. It captured perceptions towards past funding strategies and proposals for future allocations and explored the nature of priority setting decisions in relation to trade-offs between: (1) the mix of assets protected; (2) the degree of risk; (3) the level of community involvement in the decision, and (4) the distribution of benefits. This evaluation highlighted the importance of (1) incentives and disincentives for change; (2) awareness of priority setting concepts; (3) the capacity of regional bodies; and (4) elements perceived to be crucial in priority setting.
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Jenkins, Sommer. "Ecophysiological principles governing the zonation of puccinellia (Puccinellia ciliata) and tall wheatgrass (Thinopyrum ponticum) on saline waterlogged land in south-western Australia." University of Western Australia. School of Earth and Geographical Sciences, 2007. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2007.0133.
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Puccinellia (puccinellia ciliata) and tall wheatgrass (Thinopyrum ponticum) often show ecological zonation in saline landscapes, with puccinellia occurring in less elevated more saline/waterlogged locations, and tall wheatgrass occurring in more elevated less saline/waterlogged locations. The aims of this study were to: (a) characterize the observed ecological zonation at a field site, (b) quantify the effects of variables likely to explain growth differences of the two plants in glasshouse experiments, and (c) identify and compare anatomical and physiological mechanisms that explain these zonation patterns. At an experiment in the field near Kojonup (0522824E, 6244579N), puccinellia was found to colonise the lower more severely salinised and waterlogged zones of the landscape, with tall wheatgrass occupying the higher less affected zones. These differences in zonation were clearly associated with variance in soil salinity and water-table depth. Glasshouse experiments in soil revealed that low pH values, low calcium concentrations and variation in salinity alone did not explain the ecological zonation observed in the field. However, there was a substantial difference in the responses of the two plant species to waterlogging in combination with salinity. Puccinellia grew better under saline waterlogged conditions than tall wheatgrass, which was associated with better regulation of Na+ and K+ under saline/waterlogged conditions than in tall wheatgrass. Under non-saline conditions, waterlogging (hypoxia) decreased shoot weights in puccinellia by 15% and in tall wheatgrass by 20%. Similar growth results were obtained in nutrient solution culture, where waterlogging was simulated by lowering the oxygen in solutions through bubbling with N2 gas. Under saline hypoxic conditions, puccinellia, compared to tall wheatgrass, showed increased growth and maintenance of selectivity of K+ over Na+ across adventitious roots. Solution experiments revealed adaptive traits responsible for conveying better growth and ion maintenance present in puccinellia, but not tall wheatgrass, such as inducement of a barrier to radial oxygen loss in the basal regions of adventitious roots (not previously reported in the literature for puccinellia), formation of root aerenchyma and packing of cortical cells and suberin deposition in hypodermal and endodermal root cell layers. These results should assist in targeting pasture species, and predicting their growth response, in saline and waterlogged landscapes. Further work on examining the genetic material of puccinellia is warranted in order to identify genes that could be transferred into crop plants to convey salt and waterlogging tolerance.
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Hardiputra, Bingah Astuti. "Properties of rehabilitated coalmine soils at Collie." University of Western Australia. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition Discipline Group, 2004. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2005.0041.
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[Truncated abstract] Many soil properties are involved in supporting the growth of plants and in limiting soil degradation. The present study was carried out to provide a basis for minimising environmental impact by providing a firm understanding of the soil properties that affect plant growth for soils developed from mining waste from the Wesfarmers Premier coalmine at Collie. The purpose of this study was to provide an understanding of the soil materials and to identify the potential interactions between soil properties and plants for soils developed on coalmine materials at the Premier mine, Collie. This research was to identify the nature of the manmade soils so as to determine if soil forming processes are active, to determine soil acidity including pH buffering capacity and the lime requirement of soils, to measure water retention characteristics and soil available water for plant growth, to relate soil properties to possible effects on plant growth, and to identify management strategies to improve soil conditions and overcome plant growth constraints. Seventy-seven manmade horizons from pits in 18 constructed soils, ranging from 9 to 21-years old, were analyzed throughout this study. These samples are classified based on soil depth, layer (topsoil and subsoil), and age of soil since rehabilitation. The methods for doing most of the analyses follow the Australian Soil and Land Survey handbook by Rayment and Higginson (1992). The results are presented quantitatively and soil properties are compared to provide information on pedogenic processes, the extent of soil development, the ability of the soils to resist degradation and to provide an indication of soil parent materials
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Nuruzzaman, Mohammad. "Phosphorus benefits of white lupin, field pea and faba bean to wheat production in Western Australian soils." University of Western Australia. School of Plant Biology, 2005. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2005.0094.
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[Truncated abstract] Soils of Western Australian cropping regions are very low in phosphorous. White lupin, chickpea, and faba bean are being increasingly used in rotations with wheat on these soils. Yield of wheat after a legume crop is frequently higher than its yield after wheat. It has been reported that in addition to nitrogen, legumes can also contribute to improve the availability of phosphorous for the subsequent crops. This PhD research project aimed at optimising the economic returns of wheat-legume rotations through more efficient use of P fertiliser in the legume phase as well as enhanced availability of soil P in the subsequent wheat phase
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Nathan, Muhammad. "Clay movement in a saline-sodic soil toposequence." Title page, contents and summary only, 2001. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09A/09an274.pdf.
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Includes bibliographical references (leaves 78-86) In the Herrmanns sub-catchment in the Mt. Lofty Ranges (near Mt. Torrens) soil sodicity was the dominant factor in causing clay to disperse in the eroded area along the foot slopes, wheras in non-eroded areas of the mid-slopes and on the stream banks, the dispersive power of sodicity was attenuated by the flocculative power of other soil properties.
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Lalor, Briony Maree. "An assessment of the recovery of the microbial community in jarrah forest soils after bauxite mining and prescription burning." University of Western Australia. School of Earth and Geographical Sciences, 2009. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2010.0037.
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[Truncated abstract] Recovery of soil nutrients, microbial populations and carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling processes are critical to the success of rehabilitation following major ecosystem disturbance. Bauxite mining represents a major ecosystem disturbance to the jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forest in the south-west of Western Australia. Mining has created a mosaic of mined areas in various stages of succession surrounded by non-mined forest areas. Initial site preparations within rehabilitation areas such as contour ripping alter soil structure (creation of mound and furrows) and over time also influence the distribution of vegetation and litter. Current performance criteria developed by industry, government and other stakeholders have determined that before post-bauxite mined areas of jarrah forest can be integrated back into normal forest management practises they should be functional and demonstrate resilience to normal forest disturbances such as fire. Furthermore, resilience should be of a manner comparable to non-mined analogue forest sites. Currently little is known of the resilience of microbial communities and C and N cycling in rehabilitation sites to normal forest disturbances such as prescription burning. As such, before rehabilitated jarrah forests can be successfully integrated into broad scale forest management regimes, a more thorough knowledge of the potential impacts of burning practises on the soil microbial community and C and N cycling processes in these systems is required. ... While there are similar rates of C and N cycling the underlying microbial community structure was distinctly different; implying a high degree of functional redundancy with respect to C and N cycling. Differences in the C and N cycling and structure of the microbial communities were likely to be due to differences in soil environmental conditions (i.e. soil alkalinity/acidity, soil moisture) and C substrate availability which influence the physiological status of the microbial community and in turn are related to successional age of the forests. Results also suggest that the measurement of CLPP can be a useful approach for assessment of changes in the functional ability of microbial communities. However, the interpretation of how well these rehabilitation forests have recovered heterotrophic abilities was greatly affected by the methodological approach used (e.g. MicroRespTM or Degens and Harris, 1997). Importantly, results from Chapter 4 and 5 suggested that the effects of a moderate prescription fire on C and N processes, CLPP and microbial community structure of 18 year old rehabilitation forests are likely to be short-lived (< 2 years). Furthermore, the effects of the moderate spring prescription fire were not large enough to decouple C and N cycling processes over the short-term (< 1 years) which suggests that by 18 years of age rehabilitation forests demonstrate comparable functional resilience to a moderate prescription burn.
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Yusran, Fadly Hairannoor. "Soil organic matter decomposition : effects of organic matter addition on phosphorus dynamics in lateritic soils." University of Western Australia. School of Earth and Geographical Sciences, 2005. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2005.0120.
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[Truncated abstract] Relationships between the persistence of organic matter added to soil, the dynamics of soil organic carbon (C) and phosphorus (P) were examined in four experiments on lateritic soils of Western Australia. The main objective was to quantify the release of P following organic matter application in soils which have high P adsorbing capacity. Another objective was to confirm that due to its recalcitrant materials, the effect of peat lasted longer in soil than other sources of organic matter in terms of increasing plant-available P fractions. Three experiments were conducted under glasshouse conditions for various lengths of time, with nine- to twelve-month incubations to investigate these hypotheses. As expected, organic matter with lower C:N ratios than peat (lucerne hay) decomposed more rapidly compared with peat, and the most active mineralisation took place within the first three months of incubation. Soil organic-C (extracted by 0.5 M K2SO4) had a significant positive correlation with P extracted with 0.5 M NaHCO pH 8.53. For a higher application rate (120 ton ha-1), peat was better than wheat straw and lucerne hay in increasing extractable bicarbonate-P concentrations in soil, especially at incubation times up to 12 months. Throughout the experiment, peat was associated with a steady increase in all parameters measured. In contrast to peat, nutrient release from lucerne hay and wheat straw was rapid and diminished over time. There was a tendency for organic-C (either in the form of total extractable organic-C or microbial biomass-C) to steadily increase in soil with added peat throughout the experiment. Unlike wheat straw and lucerne hay, extractable organic-C from peat remained in soil and there was less C loss in the form of respiration. Therefore, peat persisted and sequestered C to the soil system for a longer time than the other source of organic matter. Freshly added organic matter was expected to have a greater influence on P transformation from adsorbed forms in lateritic soils than existing soil organic matter. By removing the existing soil organic matter, the effect of freshly applied organic matter can be determine separately from that of the existing soil organic matter for a similar organic-C content. In order to do this, some soil samples were combusted up to 450° C to eliminate inherent soil organic matter. The release of P was greater when organic-C from fresh organic matter was applied to combusted soils than in uncombusted soils that contained the existing soil organic matter. The exception only applied for parameters related to soil micro-organisms such as biomass-C and phosphatase. For such parameters, new soil organic matter did not create conditions favourable for organisms to increase in activity despite the abundance of organic matter available. More non-extractable-P was formed in combusted soils compared to bicarbonate-P and it contributed to more than 50% of total-P. As for the first experiment, peat also showed a constant effect in increasing bicarbonate extractable-P in the soil
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Chalwell, Shane Thomas Samuel. "Plant communities of greenstone hills of the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia as analogues for the rehabilitation of rocky waste dumps." Chalwell, Shane Thomas Samuel (2003) Plant communities of greenstone hills of the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia as analogues for the rehabilitation of rocky waste dumps. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2003. http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/510/.
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The vegetation of greenstone hills in the Kalgoorlie area of the Eastern Goldfields region of Western Australia was studied to identify the key environmental influences on community and species distribution. This information was needed to determine if plant communities of the hills could provide analogues for the rehabilitation of waste rock dumps that are produced as a consequence of open cut mining.
The ridges, slopes and flats adjacent to the main slope were examined and the floristic data sorted into communities. Two structurally and floristically distinct alliances were identified, one dominated by eucalypt species and the other by Acacia quadrimarginea. The eucalypt woodland displayed a taller upper stratum and few groundlayer species and was the dominant vegetation of the flats at the base of the hills. The acacia community was a low woodland and is the dominant vegetation of the hill slopes. Both communities were dominant at an equal number of sites on the ridges of the hills.
An investigation of the environmental variables found that edaphic, rather than topographic, factors were responsible for the community distribution on the hills. The eucalypt woodland showed a strong affinity to soils derived from calcrete, which had higher levels of electrical conductivity and lower exchangeable sodium percentages than the soils of the acacia low woodland. Under such conditions, the clay fraction of the soil remains in a more flocculated state allowing higher rates of water infiltration and hydraulic conductivity compared to the acacia soils. Soil nutrients were found to have a secondary influence on community distribution and had a greater effect on species distribution within alliances.
A study of the seasonal variation in water content of the soils showed that more moisture is retained in the upper soil horizons in the acacia community than in the eucalypt community during the wetter part of the year, indicating the acacia soils had poorer infiltration properties than the eucalypt soils. The distribution of drought tolerant species such as A. quadrimarginea and Prostanthera incurvata was found to be correlated to soil moisture content of the dry season whilst no correlation was found for the eucalypts at any time of the year.
Seasonal comparisons of leaf moisture content and xylem pressure potential showed that the eucalypts maintained their total leaf moisture content throughout the year whereas species such as A. quadrimarginea and Allocasuarina campestris recorded high levels of desiccation of their leaf tissue over the summer. The eucalypts also maintained a more consistent pre-dawn xylem pressure potential throughout the year than either A. quadrimarginea or the shrub species Dodonaea microzyga, indicating a greater degree of stomatal control and access to a more consistent soil water supply. The eucalypts require access to a greater soil volume than the acacias or shrubs in order to ensure sufficient water supplies for the maintenance of tissue moisture levels throughout the year. In this way, the eucalypts are able to effectively avoid the summer drought, whereas the acacias and shrubs are able to tolerate desiccation of their leaf tissues over this period.
Investigations of the germination requirements and early seedling survival of prominent species from the greenstone hills indicated that fire may be a factor in the regeneration of most hills species. All studied species were either tolerant of or responded positively to the application of dry heat. In relation to seedling establishment on waste dumps, increasing the soil moisture content of waste dump soils increased the germination rate of most species but did not result in greater seedling survival at the end of the first summer. The provision of microsites which encouraged root development and provided protection for the young seedlings was found to be more important in reducing mortality rates in the first year than increasing the total germination.
The study emphasized the importance of physical soil factors and the soil moisture regime in the distribution of eucalypt and acacia communities on the greenstone hills. A species' response to drought stress strongly influences its ability to compete for soil water on different soil types. The eucalypts studied in this project dominated on soils where there is better recharge of subsoil water reserves which can be accessed over the summer period to maintain tissue water levels. Acacias are tolerant of tissue desiccation and will compete successfully on shallower soils and where hydraulic conductivity is poor.
Although the project was valuable in identifying water relations as the main control on community distribution on the hills, waste dumps are not strictly analogues of intact greenstone hills due to the differences in rock type and profile formation. Electrical conductivity levels are also higher due to extraction processes. However, the environmental relationships of the different species show that the more drought tolerant species such as Allocasuarina campestris, Acacia quadrimarginea and understorey species associated with them, may be suitable species to form the basis of vegetation reinstatement on waste dumps in the Kalgoorlie region.
Books on the topic "Soils, Salts in – Western Australia"
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Burvill, G. H. The soils of the Salmon Gums district - Western Australia. Perth: Western Australia Department of Agriculture, 1988.
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Malcolm, C. V. Screening schrubs for establishment and survival on salt-affected soils in south-western Australia. Perth: Department of Agriculture, 1989.
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3
Research for Development Seminar (1984 Cunderdin, W.A.). Forage and fuel production from salt affected wasteland: Proceedings of a seminar held at Cunderdin, Western Australia, 19-27 May, 1984. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1986.
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4
Deep Drainage Taskforce (W.A.). Deep drainage in south-west Western Australia: Making it work, not proving it wrong : report and recommendations to the Honourable Monty House MLA, Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries. South Perth, WA: Agriculture W.A. for the Taskforce, 2000.
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McArthur, W. M. Reference soils of south-western Australia. Perth, W.A: Dept. of Agriculture, Western Australia on behalf of the Australian Society of Soil Science, 1991.
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Barrett-Lennard, E. G. Saltland pastures in Australia: A practical guide. South Perth, W.A: Dept. of Agriculture, Western Australia, 1995.
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International Symposium on "Zinc in Soils and Plants" (1993 University of Western Australia). Zinc in soils and plants: Proceedings of the International Symposium on "Zinc in Soils and Plants," held at the University of Western Australia, 27-28 September, 1993. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1993.
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Western Australia. Agriculture Western Australia., ed. Western Australian salinity action plan. [South Perth, W.A.]: Agriculture Western Australia, 1996.
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Salinity : a situation statement for Western Australia: A report to the Minister for Primary Industry, Minister for the Environment. [South Perth, W.A.]: Agriculture Western Australia, 1996.
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G, Barrett-Lennard E., ed. Forage and fuel production from salt affected wasteland: Proceedings of a seminar held at Cunderdin, Western Australia, 19-27 May, 1984. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1986.
Find full textBook chapters on the topic "Soils, Salts in – Western Australia"
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Anderson, G. C., and I. R. P. Fillery. "Sulphate and nitrogen net mineralisation in coarse-textured soils in western Australia." In Plant Nutrition, 944–45. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, 2001. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/0-306-47624-x_460.
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Khan, A., and H. R. Nikraz. "Evaluation of ground movement using a simple soil suction technique in Western Australia." In Unsaturated Soils for Asia, 687–92. CRC Press, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1201/9781003078616-121.
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White, Robert E. "Putting it All Together." In Understanding Vineyard Soils. Oxford University Press, 2015. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199342068.003.0009.
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In reality, there can be no generic definition of an “ideal soil” because a soil’s performance is influenced by the local climate, landscape characteristics, grape variety, and cultural practices and is judged in the context of a winegrower’s objectives for style of wine to be made, market potential, and profitability of the enterprise. This realization essentially acknowledges the long-established French concept of terroir: that the distinctiveness or typicity of wines produced in individual locations depends on a complex interaction of biophysical and human cultural factors, interpreted by many as meaning a wine’s sense of place. As discussed in “Soil Variability and the Concept of Terroir” in chapter 1, because of this interaction of factors that determine a particular terroir, it is not surprising that no specific relationships between one or more soil properties and wine typicity have been unequivocally demonstrated. While acknowledging this conclusion, it is still worthwhile to examine how variations in several single or combined soil properties can influence vine performance and fruit character. These properties are: • Soil depth • Soil structure and water supply • Soil strength • Soil chemistry and nutrient supply • Soil organisms Provided there are no subsoil constraints, the natural tendency of long-lived Vitis vinifera, on own roots or rootstocks, to root deeply and extensively gives it access to a potentially large store of water and nutrients. In sandy and gravely soils that are naturally low in nutrients, such as in the Médoc region of France, the Margaret River region in Western Australia, and the Wairau River plain, Marlborough region, New Zealand, the deeper the soil the better. A similar situation pertains on the deep sandy soils on granite in the Cauquenas region, Chile. However, such depth may be a disadvantage where soils are naturally fertile and rain is plentiful, as in parts of the Mornington Peninsula, King and Yarra Valley regions, Victoria, Australia, and the Willamette Valley region in Oregon (see figure 1.11, chapter 1), because vine growth is too vigorous and not in balance.
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Maltman, Alex. "Weathering, Soil, and the Minerals in Wine." In Vineyards, Rocks, and Soils. Oxford University Press, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190863289.003.0014.
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Weathering of rocks is the crucial first step in making vineyards possible. For where the debris produced by weathering—the sediment we met in Chapter 5—becomes mixed with moist humus, it will be capable of supporting higher plant life. And thus we have soil, that fundamental prerequisite of all vineyards, indeed of the world’s agriculture. So how does this essential process of weathering come about? Any bare rock at the Earth’s surface is continually under attack. Be it a rocky cliff, a stone cathedral, or a tombstone, there will always be chemical weathering—chemical reactions between its surface and the atmosphere A freshly hewn block of building stone may look indestructible, but before long it will start to look a bit discolored and its surface a little crumbly. We are all familiar with an analogy of this: a fresh surface of iron or steel reacting with moisture and oxygen in the air to form the coating we call rust. In his “Guide to the Lakes” of England, William Wordsworth put the effects of weathering far more picturesquely: “elementary particles crumbling down, over-spread with an intermixture of colors, like the compound hues of a dove’s neck.” A weathered rock is one that is being weakened, broken down. The rock fragments themselves are further attacked, which is why stones in a vineyard often show an outer coating of discolored material, sometimes referred to as a weathering rind (Figure 9.1; see Plate 22). If the stone is broken open, it may show multiple zones of differing colors paralleling the outer surface of the fragment and enclosing a core of fresh rock. Iron minerals soon weather to a powdery combination of hematite, goethite, and limonite, and the rock takes on a reddish-brown, rusty-looking color. The great example of such weathering in viticulture is the celebrated terra rossa, but the rosy soils in parts of Western Australia and places further east such as McLaren Vale and the Barossa Valley are also due to iron minerals. Several Australian wines take their names from this “ironstone.”
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"- Hyperspectral Sensing on Acid Sulfate Soils via Mapping Iron-Bearing and Aluminum-Bearing Minerals on the Swan Coastal Plain, Western Australia." In Remote Sensing of Natural Resources, 520–63. CRC Press, 2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.1201/b15159-31.
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Shi, Xianzhong, and Mehrooz Aspandiar. "Hyperspectral Sensing on Acid Sulfate Soils via Mapping Iron-Bearing and Aluminum-Bearing Minerals on the Swan Coastal Plain, Western Australia." In Remote Sensing of Natural Resources, 495–514. CRC Press, 2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.1201/b15159-34.
Full textConference papers on the topic "Soils, Salts in – Western Australia"
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Beemer, Ryan D., Alexandre N. Bandini-Maeder, Jeremy Shaw, Ulysse Lebrec, and Mark J. Cassidy. "The Granular Structure of Two Marine Carbonate Sediments." In ASME 2018 37th International Conference on Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/omae2018-77087.
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Calcareous sediments are prominent throughout the low-latitudinal offshore environment and have been known to be problematic for offshore foundation systems. These fascinating soils consist largely of the skeletal remains of single-celled marine organisms (plankton and zooplankton) and can be as geologically complex as their onshore siliceous counter parts. To enable an adequate understanding of their characteristics, in particular, their intra-granular micro-structure, it is important that geotechnical engineers do not forget about the multifaceted biological origins of these calcareous sediments and the different geological processes that created them. In this paper, the 3D models of soils grains generated from micro-computed tomography scans, scanning electeron microscope images, and optical microscope images of two calcareous sediments from two different depositional environments are presented and their geotechnical implications discussed. One is a coastal bioclastic sediment from Perth, Western Australia that is geologically similar to carbonate sediments typically used in micro-mechanics and particle crushing studies in the literature. The other is a hemipelagic sediment from a region of the North West Shelf of Australia that has historically been geotechnically problematic for engineers. The results show there is a marked difference between coastal bioclastic and hemipelagic sediments in terms of geological context and the associated particle micro-structures. This brings into question whether a coastal bioclastic calcareous sediment is a good micro-mechanical substitute for a hemipelagic one.