Sustainable landscape management
South Australia’s landscapes are based on:
- built and natural environments – forest plantations, infrastructure, rivers, and coastlines
- natural resources – land, soil, water, and native ecosystems
- community values around interacting with the environment
- First Nations connection to country.
These elements can be integrated through sustainable land management, which supports agriculture, forestry, recreation, and conservation.
Sustainable practices also maintain or enhance long-term ecological functions of the land.
Farm-based forestry
Growing trees through farm-based forestry is profitable for landowners and contributes to sustainable landscape management.
Plantations can be implemented in many forms, including woodlots, wind breaks, block and alley plantings, and wide-spaced tree plantings. These are established at a smaller scale than industrial forest operations to aid farming goals.
Growers must be careful not to introduce new plant species that may represent a weed risk. Seek specialist forest management, financial, and legal advice regarding proposed land use.
Environmental benefits of plantations
Farm-based forestry offers landowners the following socioeconomic outcomes.
Biodiversity conservation
Forests planted on degraded or deforested areas contribute to biodiversity conservation. This helps to:
- preserve remnant native vegetation areas
- re-establish native vegetation where possible.
Eucalypt plantations can create and connect forest habitats. They mitigate the effects of climate change by acting as carbon sinks.
In Australia, research has shown that Eucalypt plantation and shelterbelts support bird, bat, and insect biodiversity.
Soil management
Growing trees as part of a farming system improves the land quality. It can:
- increase soil organic matter
- provide host material for micro-organisms that fix soil nitrogen levels
- cycle nutrients through the soil.
Reduced salinity and water logging
Tree roots affect the movement of water through the landscape, both above and below the soil surface. Planting trees can restore water balance in a catchment, controlling dryland salinity and waterlogging.
It is important to assess the site conditions and expected benefits from planting trees. Overcoming salinity problems depends on the:
- size of the area planted – larger areas have greater impact
- arrangement of the trees
- tree species used
- location of trees within a catchment.
Carbon farming
Carbon farming practices such as farm-based forestry can restore our landscapes and improve agricultural productivity. Renewable plantations help the environment as they sequester carbon.
Wood products produced from on-farm forests also have smaller carbon footprints than construction materials. Learn more about:
- carbon farming benefits and opportunities
- forest property agreements for landowners, including carbon trading rights.
Shade and wind shelter
Windbreaks, woodlots and scattered trees in landscapes can increase farm productivity. Trees reduce wind speed which:
- helps manage land erosion
- shields crops from blowing soils and gusty winds
- protects livestock from wind-chill in cold weather and provides shade in hot weather.
Crop yields may increase by more than 20% in the zone extending out of the windbreak, to a distance of 10 times the windbreak height.
In designing a windbreak, the shaded and sheltered zone depends on the height and length, rather than its porosity or density. More than one row of trees is recommended.
Windbreaks are positioned to restrict prevailing winds causing the most damage. If it is long enough, the windbreak will provide some degree of shelter, regardless of wind direction.
Other considerations
Trees attract birds, insects and other animals which may damage or feed on the crops they shelter.
Planting design should:
- allow for maintenance of fence lines
- minimise competition with pasture and crops
- account for gaps in windbreaks, which can cause stronger winds than where trees are absent.
Contact
PIRSA Forestry
Email: pirsa.forestry@sa.gov.au
