Soil | Water and salinity management | Biodiversity | Carbon sequestration | GMO's

Environment and natural resource management (NRM)

In addition to the economic and community benefits, plantations deliver significant positive environmental outcomes, including effective management of soil, water balances and carbon sequestration.

Environment: Soil

Soil is a critical natural ingredient in growing healthy and productive timber plantations. Plantation managers take great care to protect soil and minimise erosion and compaction. Growing trees enhances and restores soil by replacing organic matter and reducing compaction. Trees can reverse damage to soil structure caused by over cultivation in intensive agriculture, as tree roots bind the soil reducing wind and water erosion.

When plantations are harvested, leaves, needles and small branches containing nutrients remain on the site. Excessive grazing and cropping removes soil nutrients and organic matter from the land. Independent research carried out during more than 20 years has shown that pine plantations generally have a lower acidity impact on soils than pasture or eucalypt forest. While not creating significant soil acidity, pines will grow happily in acid soil, making them a great land use option for such areas.

For more information, go to the Australian Association of Natural Resource Management.

Soil | Water and salinity management | Biodiversity | Carbon sequestration | GMO's