Describe the problem of farming poor soils in Australia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4pX5W_WwU4 Australia's soils are naturally unsuitable for agriculture with most land being shallow, high in salt stores and low in nutrients. Only 6% of the land is farmland without irrigation and salt, waterlogging or acidity. 91% of Australia is covered by native flora, though native plants cover most of Australia’s desert landscapes.
Australia is one of the oldest land surfaces on earth but the soils and seas are among the most nutrient poor and unproductive in the world. This is because of the country's environmental stability, which is a major feature of the Australian land.
Australian soils are extremely dependent upon flora cover to produce …show more content…
Carbon stored within soil is called soil organic carbon (SOC). It is made up of decaying plant and animal material.
Ecological and agricultural research shows that deliberately increasing SOC raises the health and amount of food produced of crops and improves pastureland for grazing livestock. Decomposition of plant and animal material in the soil also releases other nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphates, which are vital for plant growth.
SOC also changes the overall soil composition it increases the amount of water that can be absorbed and stored, improves gas exchange, and breaks up the soil, making it easier for root systems to grow and spread. SOC provides a brilliant food source for many microorganisms, many of which continue to improve soil quality.
Many Australian farmers are looking for ways to increase the carbon in their soils. Traditional farming after a crop has been harvested the remaining roots and bases of plants is removed. This is often done by using ploughs that turns the soil or by burning the fields. Both of these release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Removing the roots and base means there is less material to decay and turn into
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4pX5W_WwU4 Australia's soils are naturally unsuitable for agriculture with most land being shallow, high in salt stores and low in nutrients. Only 6% of the land is farmland without irrigation and salt, waterlogging or acidity. 91% of Australia is covered by native flora, though native plants cover most of Australia’s desert landscapes.
Australia is one of the oldest land surfaces on earth but the soils and seas are among the most nutrient poor and unproductive in the world. This is because of the country's environmental stability, which is a major feature of the Australian land.
Australian soils are extremely dependent upon flora cover to produce …show more content…
Carbon stored within soil is called soil organic carbon (SOC). It is made up of decaying plant and animal material.
Ecological and agricultural research shows that deliberately increasing SOC raises the health and amount of food produced of crops and improves pastureland for grazing livestock. Decomposition of plant and animal material in the soil also releases other nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphates, which are vital for plant growth.
SOC also changes the overall soil composition it increases the amount of water that can be absorbed and stored, improves gas exchange, and breaks up the soil, making it easier for root systems to grow and spread. SOC provides a brilliant food source for many microorganisms, many of which continue to improve soil quality.
Many Australian farmers are looking for ways to increase the carbon in their soils. Traditional farming after a crop has been harvested the remaining roots and bases of plants is removed. This is often done by using ploughs that turns the soil or by burning the fields. Both of these release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Removing the roots and base means there is less material to decay and turn into