Purpose

To assist in maintaining the water table at an appropriate level, to decrease salinity-related problems and soil erosion, and to provide biodiversity conservation and production benefits. Native plant windbreaks and shelter belts may also provide movement corridors for native animals, reduce exposure of crops to wind, provide screens against weed incursions and contribute to integrated pest management by providing habitat and food for predators or parasites of crop pests. It may also be carried out on a commercial basis to replace unproductive cropping areas and to provide perennial carbon sinks.

Components that may be affected:       Cultural (non-material) services; Soil salinity; Soil nitrogen; Soil phosphorus;

                                                              Water quality.

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Characteristics of on-farm tree planting practices were assessed by Cary et al. (2002). The results are presented in Table 1.

Table 1: Characteristics of sustainable management practices as assessed by Cary et al. (2002)

Sustainable practice	Geographic applicability	Relative advantage	Risk	Complexity	Compatibility	Trialability	Observability
(Ideal rating)	(high)	(high)	(low)	(low)	(high)	(high)	(high)
Non-commercial tree and shrub planting	medium - high	low	low	low	medium - high	high	high
Commercial tree and shrub planting (farm forestry)	low	low (locality)	high	medium	low	low	high

 

• Geographic applicability—refers to relative appropriateness of a practice, in terms of whether it is effective or adapted to only specific localities or, more universally, across many localities.
• Relative advantage—relates to the financial advantage or other convenience or personal advantage to the farm business or the adopter.
• Risk—refers to uncertainty about likely benefits or costs associated with a sustainable practice, the effectiveness of the practice, when the benefits might be realised and the social acceptability of the practice.
• Complexity—implies that a practice comprises more than one or two simple elements and that its elements interact with each other and, in sometimes complicated ways, with elements of the farming system into which it is to be incorporated.
• Compatibility—refers to the extent to which a practice fits in with existing farm practices, knowledge or social practice.
• Trialability—where practices can be implemented on a small or pilot scale, decisions can be more easily made about the value of a new practice without the risks associated with full implementation.
• Observability—practices where the impact or advantage is easily observable or the outcome quickly realised are more likely to be adopted.

Indicator

Percentage of grain farmers planting and establishing trees and shrubs.

Results

The adoption of practices to manage environmental challenges was surveyed by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (in NLWRA 2001). A summary of the findings is presented in the chart below. The results show that  in 1998/99, 'vegetation establishment' was applicable to 95 per cent of the surveyed farms, with the practice being adopted on 57 per cent of farms.

^{Source - NLWRA Australian Agriculture Assessment 2001}

Figure 1: Applicability and adoption of certain management practices by grain farmers in the high rainfall and wheat-sheep zones.

The 2001-02 Resource Management Survey, carried out by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE), estimated that on 41 per cent of broadacre and dairy industry farms in the wheat/sheep zone trees and shrubs were planted on a regular basis (ABARE 2002). The survey was only carried out once but may be repeated in the future. Additional survey data from research and development corporations and grower groups may be available.

Table 2: Estimated percentage of farm operators who are aware of/take measures to combat degradation problems

^{Source- ABARE 2001-02 Resource Management Survey.} 

^{Note: RSE = Relative standard error; Population (farms) = 38502,  Sample (farms) = 579}

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VARIABLE	DESCRIPTION
Population	Estimated number of broadacre and dairy industry farms in the selected category with an EVAO greater than $22 500.
Sample	Number of broadacre and dairy industry farms that responded to questions in the 2001-02 Resource Management supplementary in the selected category.
Changes - tree and shrub establishment	Tree and shrub establishment/protection/regeneration to prevent/control land and water degradation
Cost of works in 2001-02 - trees and shrub establishment	Cost of tree and shrub establishment/protection/regeneration to control/prevent land and water degradation in 2001-02

References

ABARE (2002) 2001-02 Resource Management Survey: Data Package 2001-02. Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Canberra. Website- http://www.abareconomics.com/ame/lrm2/lrmalt.asp. Accessed 14/05/2007.

Cary, J. Webb, T. and Barr, N. (2002) Understanding landholders capacity to change to sustainable practices: Insights about practice adoption and social capacity for change. Bureau of Rural Sciences, Canberra, p. 17.

NLWRA (2001) Australian Natural Resources Atlas: Australian Agriculture assessment 2001. National Land & Water Resources Audit, Canberra. Website- http://www.anra.gov.au/topics/agriculture/index.html. Accessed 16/07/2008.

Nelson, R., Alexander, F., Elliston, L. and Blias, A. (2004) 2001-02 Resource Management Survey: Natural Resource Management on Australian Farms report. Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Canberra. Website- http://abareonlineshop.com/PdfFiles/PC12675.pdf. Accessed 14/05/2007.