Trees, water and salt. An Australian guide to using trees for healthy catchments and productive farms

Abstract

READING the Foreword and Preface of Trees, Water and Salt, I was pleasantly satisfied by the promised content of this, the first publication in a series from CSIRO addressing dryland salinity. This is not a book of "Doom and gloom", all too often associated with salinity, but is a forward thinking attempt to combat a complex problem. The authors suggest that the best way to curtail or stop salinity would involve the re-vegetation of entire catchments with native species. Trees, Water and Salt recognizes the agricultural and economical impracticalities this option proffers, accepting that some salinity will occur as the price of our current consumer demands. Trees, Water and Salt suggests that to help mêlée salinity, land managers must design and implement different agroforestry systems.