Soil

Environmental accounts submitted for soil assets in 2015.

Soil

Australia takes great pride in its agricultural resource base and it forms a pivotal feature in Australian culture. However, the act of producing food and fibre makes fundamental changes to the soil that can affect the wider environment. Harvesting removes nutrients and alkalinity from soils and the disturbance of soil in tillage, loss of soil surface cover and removal of crop residue makes soil vulnerable to both wind and water erosion. Monitoring change in soil condition at sub-national or regional scale is essential to ensure that soil is managed adequately into the future.