Issue: Contributions and pressures between the land and inland water - Pressures of changes to inland waters on land
This is an issue under the Land theme of the Data Reporting System.
Why we need to know about this issue
Changes to groundwater can place direct pressure on the land. Groundwater in Australia can be very saline but deep-rooted vegetation absorbs it so that the saline groundwater remains well below the surface and does not mix with surface water. Removal of deep-rooted vegetation reduces this absorption, allowing the saline water to rise, causing salt contamination of the surface soil.
Surface waters can also place pressure on the land in times of excess flooding, or when banks are destabilised (eg by grazing of introduced domestic animals), or when streams carry contaminants (eg excess salt, nutrients, pollutants) that poison biota downstream from the contamination.
Indicators
- IW-05 Average annual groundwater depth
Surface salinity results from the rise of saline groundwater into surface soil. Extent of surface salinity is an indicator of the pressure of salt from rising groundwater on the land. - IW-26 Forested streamlength
Removal of riparian vegetation can allow saline groundwater to rise, causing salt contamination of both the surface soil and surface water. If banks are destabilised, eg by grazing of domestic animals, the absence of riparian vegetation can lead to flooding during periods of heavy flow, causing soil loss to the land and sedimentation and salination of the surface water. - LD-06 Area and proportion of land affected by dryland salinity and acidity
Surface salinity results from the rise of saline groundwater into surface soil. Extent of surface salinity is an indicator of the pressure of salt from rising groundwater on the land.
Related issues
- Land - Land condition- Land cover
- Land - Land condition- Soil stability and quality
- Land - Land condition- Condition of terrestrial species and ecological communities
- Land - Land condition- Hydrology
- Land - Direct pressure of human activities on the land- Soil loss and loss of soil quality
- Land - Direct pressure of human activities on the land- Land clearing
- Land - Direct pressure of human activities on the land- Salinity
- Land - Direct pressure of human activities on the land- Species introduction and species change
- Biodiversity - Landscapes- Ecosystem diversity
- Biodiversity - Pressures on biodiversity- Land clearing
- Biodiversity - Species, habitats and ecological communities- Conservation status of species and ecological communities
- Biodiversity - Pressures on biodiversity- Grazing pressure
- Biodiversity - Pressures on biodiversity- Changed hydrology
- Land - Contributions and pressures between the land and inland water- Condition of species at the land-inland waters interface
- Inland Waters - Catchment scale influences- Hydrological condition- Surface-water availability and human use
- Inland Waters - Catchment scale influences- Hydrological condition- Ground-water availability and human use
- Inland Waters - Catchment scale influences- Hydrological condition- Ecological aspects of river flow regimes
- Inland Waters - Catchment scale influences- Hydrological condition- Connectivity - dams, weirs, regulators and levees
- Inland Waters - Catchment scale influences- Land and vegetation condition- Erosion
- Inland Waters - Catchment scale influences- Land and vegetation condition- Nutrients and sediments - sources and loads
- Inland Waters - Catchment scale influences- Land and vegetation condition- Vegetation
- Inland Waters - Habitat scale influences- Riparian vegetation
Key
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