Issue: Direct pressure of human activities on the land - Salinity
This is an issue under the Land theme of the Data Reporting System.
Why we need to know about this issue
The quality of quantity of water available to vegetation and other terrestrial biodiversity is crucial to the condition of that vegetation and therefore to the condition of the land. The condition of the land is both crucial to and dependent on its relationship with freshwater movements. Excessive salinity rising with groundwater make can make both water and soil unusable by plant or animal life.
Indicators
- LD-06 Area and proportion of land affected by dryland salinity and acidity
Extent of dryland salinity and acidity is an indicator of the area of land under pressure from salinity. - IW-05 Average annual groundwater depth
Depth of groundwater is a direct measure of the land’s suceptability to salinity. Dryland salinity in Australia has significant implications for the condition of terrestrial biodiversity. Rising groundwater brings salt to the surface and, having surfaced, salt can prevent vegetation and its associated biodiversity from re-establishing.
In the absence of data on groundwater depth, estimates of sustainable yield provide little insight into this issue. - IW-26 Forested streamlength
Depth of groundwater is a direct measure of the land’s susceptibility to salinity. Dryland salinity in Australia has significant implications for the condition of terrestrial biodiversity. Rising groundwater brings salt to the surface and, having surfaced, salt can prevent vegetation and its associated biodiversity from re-establishing. Change in extent of riparian vegetation is an indirect indicator of catchments at risk of salinity.
Related issues
- Land - Land condition- Land cover
- Land - Land condition- Condition of terrestrial species and ecological communities
- Land - Land condition- Hydrology
- 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 - Pressures on biodiversity- Land clearing
- Biodiversity - Pressures on biodiversity- Grazing pressure
- Biodiversity - Pressures on biodiversity- Changed hydrology
- Land - Contributions and pressures between the land and the ocean- Condition of species at the land-ocean interface
- Land - Contributions and pressures between the land and inland water- Pressures of changes to inland waters on land
- Land - Contributions and pressures between the land and inland water- Pressures of changes to the land on inland waters
Key
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