The Environmental Problem

The problem in the wheatbelt of Western Australia is that the area was cleared and developed for agriculture over a short period (since European settlement - about 100 years) and since then most of the original vegetation that was present has been removed or replaced.

The process of agricultural clearance accelerated in the area after 1945 and this has resulted in a large proportion of land having been cleared in last 50 years (Saunders et al, 1993) and the generation of a fragmented landscape.

Salination    28kb

Intensive use of this land for agriculture has caused a loss of production due to soil salinisation, waterlogging, and wind and water erosion. In fact, 6.2km2 a year was lost from production over the period 1955-1984 due to salinity alone (Hobbs and Saunders, 1991). There has also been a decline of many species of mammals and a number of extinctions in this area over the last 100 years.

Current agricultural practises are not sustainable in this region. Management that can achieve sustainable production and conservation of endangered and native species is paramount (Hobbs and Saunders, 1991).