Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Guide |
|
| Recommended resources for Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources |
Web Links: Salinity
General resources
University of Sydney Library Catalogue
Some recommended subject headings on the University of Sydney Library Catalogue are:
Australian resources
Australian dryland salinity assessment 2000
This report from the National Land and Water Resources Audit "is Australia's most comprehensive national assessment of dryland salinity and sets the context for tackling Australia's dryland salinity management issues." Information is provided for each state, along with case studies and fact sheets.
Co-operative Research Centre for plant based management of dryland salinity
The CRC for Plant-based management of dryland salinity is a national research organisation involving nine partner organisations across four states (WA, SA, VIC & NSW). As well as providing comprehensive information and statistics on salinity, the website provides information on current research being undertaken, news, opportunities for further education and available publications.
CSIROnline-Salinity
This site contains an overview of Australia's salinity problems and examines some of possible solutions, providing links to some research and development projects.
National Dryland Salinity Program (NDSP)
The website of Australia's National Dryland Salinity Program contains information about the Program, links to project descriptions, reports and updates, in particular the Salinity Tools Project and the National Airborne Geophysics Project (NAGP). Links are also provided to publications such as fact/information sheets, brochures and posters, conference and discussion papers, reports, guidelines and manuals, media releases and also to the Focus on Salt Newsletter and Salt Magazine. Access is also provided to the OPUS (Options for the Productive Use of Salinity) database, which has salinity case studies (land and water) both in Australia and overseas. The case studies are listed under five industry categories: agriculture, forestry and horticulture, fauna and algae, minerals, and energy.
Remote sensing and image integration
This CSIRO site discusses the use of remote sensing to map and monitor areas that are affected by salinity and factors that contribute to its spread. Also included are links to case studies and research projects.
Salinity – the awakening monster from the deep
Published by the Australian Academy of Science, this article discusses how salinity in Australia is making more of the land unusable and the water undrinkable. The site also provides access to a glossary,further readings, other useful salinity related web sites and activities for school and university students.
Salinity
(.pdf documents)
These readings are part of the Natural resources and climate section of the NSW Agriculture website. Titles include What is irrigation salinity? What is waterlogging? What can be done to stop irrigation salinity? How to texture soils and test for salinity, How do I test water salinity? Understanding salinity meters, Water salinity guidelines, Monitoring groundwater with testwells, Managing horticulture with testwells, Principles of surface irrigation and Draining and reusing irrigation water. Links to other salinity related resources are also provided.
Salinity at a glance
This 2000 Farmnote was written by Bob Nulsen (Manager Natural Resource Management) and Cecilia McConnell, (Hydrologist) and produced by the Western Australia Department of Agriculture. It deals with the causes, extent, monitoring, evaluation and management of salinity, including treatment options such as surface water management, recharge reduction and increasing water discharge. The site includes tables of W.A. regions showing areas affected in 1994 and projections to 2020 and beyond.
Salinity in NSW
This site has been produced by the NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation.
It provides information on what salinity is, types of salinity, how it is caused, its effects and how it can be prevented. Maps and tables showing areas affected in New South Wales are provided. Salinity management in New South Wales is discussed in the NSW Salinity Strategy. Information on research, a list of references and further reading, links to current and past media releases and a glossary of terms are provided. There are links to the National Dryland Salinity Program (NDSP), the discussion paper 'Offsets, salinity and native vegetation' and extensive links to related websites.
Water salinity and crop irrigation
This 1999 Farmnote was written by Neil Lantzke, Development Officer and Tim Calder, Technical Officer and produced by the Western Australia Department of Agriculture. It discusses the osmotic and ion effect of water salinity and the factors affecting the extent of plant damage.
International resources
George E. Brown, Jr. Salinity Laboratory
Formerly know as the US Salinity Laboratory (USSL), the aim of the laboratory is to "develop, through research, new knowledge, and technology, the solution of problems of crop production on salt-affected lands, to promote the sustainability of irrigated agriculture, and to prevent degradation of surface- and ground-water resources by salts, toxic-elements, pesticides, and pathogens." The web site provides details of the current research programs and various models are freely available to download using FTP.
The Salt tolerance bibliography database provides references to journal articles on salt tolerance in plants.
Organisations and Associations
Australian Geological Survey Organisation
The Geoscience Australia website can be searched by keyword or by selecting from the subject menu. There are links to current news items, databases, factsheets, downloads and online maps. Geoscience Australia is the national government agency for geoscience research and information with its focus on urban centres, geoscience for oceans and coasts, and geoscience for regional and rural areas. The website provides access to the Geoscience library, the online media centre, the catalogue of products for sale, and employment opportunities.