Predictions of watertable depth and soil salinity levels for land capability assessment using site indicator species
Sarita Jane Bennett A B C E and E. G. Barrett-Lennard A B C D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Future Farm Industries Cooperative Research Centre, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
B School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
C Centre for Ecohydrology, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
D Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia, 3 Baron-Hay Court, South Perth, WA 6151, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Current address: Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Bentley, WA 6845, Australia. Email: sarita.bennett@curtin.edu.au
Crop and Pasture Science 64(3) 285-294 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP12417
Submitted: 12 December 2012 Accepted: 2 July 2013 Published: 2 August 2013
Abstract
Salt-affected land varies spatially and seasonally in terms of soil salinity and depth to the watertable. This paper asks whether native and naturalised species growing on saltland can be used as ‘indicators’ of saltland capability. The percentage cover of native and naturalised species was recorded in spring 2004 and 2005 across saltland transects on three sites in Western Australia. The presence of these plants was related to average soil salinity (ECe) at depth (25–50 cm), and depth to the watertable in spring. Eight naturalised species occurred with ≥40% cover on the sites. Species preferences varied, with some such as samphire (Tecticornia pergranulata) and puccinellia (Puccinellia ciliata) only occurring with shallow watertables (<0.7 m deep) and with ECe values >16 dS/m. Other species such as capeweed (Arctotheca calendula) and annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) were dominant where watertables were deeper (>1.3 m) and salinity levels lower (ECe values 2–8 and 4–16 dS/m, respectively). Our data suggest that some of the species recorded can be used as indicators of saltland capability and, further, can predict the most productive species to sow in that area. Other species were found not to be good indicators as they displayed more opportunistic habitat requirements.
Additional keywords: dryland salinity, native and naturalised species, production potential, wheatbelt.
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