DRYLAND

Strip Cropping on the Darling Downs - southern Queensland

Dryland regions comprise 90% of the Murray-Darling Basin's land area. They represent a wide range of soil types and climatic regions that each pose unique challenges to agriculture. The 52 000 farms within the Murray-Darling Basin represent 43% of the total number of farms in Australia and contain 45% of the Australian crop area.

Wheat is the major crop within the Murray-Darling Basin with production representing 34% of the Australian total.

Tree planting to reduce groundwater recharge, Yass - southern New South Wales

Forests and woodlands occupy a critical place in the ecology and economy of the Murray-Darling Basin. Over recent years local planting of native hardwoods has complemented the expansion of softwood plantations within the Basin.

Much of the planting has been undertaken by individual farmers as a medium to long term response to a range of soil and land degradation problems. Many of these problems are having an adverse impact on water quality.

The rangelands of the Murray-Darling Basin represent some of the most fragile areas of the Basin.

Semi-arid landscape - western New South Wales

These areas remind land managers that there is a need to manage land within its capability. In these landscapes the effects of overgrazing and clearing can take decades to repair. The invasion of woody weeds into disturbed arid landscapes is a land degradation issue in these areas.

Research on rangeland management has resulted in management strategies being developed and a better understanding of the unique biodiversity of these areas.