Landscape Legacies

Posted 10 December 2018.

Best-practice soil management activities from across the region will be captured as part of an SA Arid Lands NRM Board program.

The new Landscape Legacies will record successful stories of soil rehabilitation after recently being awarded funding through the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.

The 12-month program will collect historical data to capture stories from sites where soil management works have occurred over the past four decades.

This will allow land managers and people living in the SA Arid Lands and other Rangeland environments to learn from tried and tested soil management works on arid properties prior to starting or expanding their own projects.

SA Arid Lands NRM Presiding Member Janet Brook welcomed the National Landcare funding to support the promotion of lessons learned in soil conservation and said the Board looked forward to sharing the stories.

As part of the project, case studies will be presented from properties that have actively taken part in soil management works including reseeding, and mechanical techniques including pitting, contour ripping, water ponding and diversions.

“Stories of the successful outcomes and the lessons that have been learnt over the past 30 to 40 years will be shared broadly, promoting the combination of soil management techniques that have provided the best results through local case studies,” Mrs Brook said.

Among the benefits of the program will be the identification of long-term changes in ground cover on selected sites.

There will also be an opportunity for land managers to engage with industry experts to understand the effectiveness of different soil management practices and the look at ways to improve retention of soil moisture and perennial vegetation on their properties.