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Forage and fuel production from salt-affected wasteland.
177
Two main disturbance issues worrying mankind, aciditication and COZ accumulation in are mentioned but not the atmosphere, treated in any detail. Of course, one may argue that each of these topics would require (and in fact have repeatedly received) a separate treatment. For the readers of Landscape and Urban Planning, the sections on the Biosphere (with a short paper by G.M. Woodell) and the two papers in the Landscape section will be of special interest. It is certainly worthwhile having the ideas of Godron and Forman effectively summarized, although most of it has recently been published elsewhere. In relation to their contribution in particular, one would have wished to see a compilation of Northwest European literature on degrees of naturalness, the occurrences of neophytes, and problems with exotic organisms and related topics. The production of the book is first-class. A full list of contents, reference lists to each chapter and an effective index contribute to the value of the book. The French resume added to each chapter (but not to Chapter 5.2.!) is a nice “hommage” to the French authors (or may be rather an adaptation to French science policy), but in fact is almost superfluous.
E.VANDERMAAREL Institute of Ecological Botany University of Uppsala Box 559 S- 75122 Uppsala Sweden
FORAGE AND FUEL PRODUCTION FROM SALT-AFFECTED WASTELAND
Forage and Fuel Production.fiom Salt-Aifkcted Wasteland. E.G. Barrett-Lennard, C.V. Malcolm, W.R. Stern and S.M. Wilkins (Editors). Elsevier Science Publishers, Sara Burgerhartstraat 25, P.O. Box 2 11, 1000 AE Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 1986, 459 pp., illustrated, price Dfl. 200.00, U.S.A. $74.00, ISBN O-444-4265 l-5.
This book is the proceedings of a seminar held at Cunderlin, Western Australia, in May 1984. The seminar was concerned with the growing of highly salt-tolerant plants under natural rainfall in salt-affected soils for the production of forage and fuel. Increasing soil salinity and a resultant loss of biological productivity are two of the oldest environmental problems with which people have had to deal. The disappearances of some ancient civilisations have been attributed to these causes. Whilst the 2-year delay in publication is regrettable, the proceedings represent an authoritative and wide-ranging account of current knowledge. Undoubtedly the book will be an important reference text for many years ahead and will stimulate new initiatives in this inadequately researched field. Perhaps more encourage better importantly it should exchanges of information and experience between researchers and land-managers. The reference lists following each paper provide a good insight into the extent of past research. The first part of the proceedings consists of 16 country reports covering Argentina, Australia, Chad and Senegal, Chile, Egypt. Ethiopia, India, Iraq, Israel, Kenya, Pakistan, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, Tunisia, and the U.S.A. and Canada. In the second part there are 18 contributed papers organised into five main sections, namely: Salt-affected wasteland: nature and distribution: Salt-tolerant plant resources; Production from salt-affected soil; Establishment problems and methods: Utilisation, management and social aspects. The country reports give valuable accounts of the national distributions of salt-affected soils, records of native and introduced species of salt-tolerant plants. techniques of establishment, reclamation, rehabilitation and utilisation, and current research. The process of salinisation occurs on all continents, under various climatic regimes and in different soil classes. For the countries sur-
178
veyed. the percentage of land with salt-affected soil varies up to 20% for Iraq. About 7(/o of the world’s land area is affected. Secondary salinity. arising from such activities as irrigation and extending unsuitable agriculture into arid lands, is expanding and resulting in decreased production, increasing soil erosion and economic hardship. There seems general agreement among the contributors that as the world population increases there will be growing pressure to increase fodder and fuel yields from saltaffected areas. Several contributors suggest that these pressures will be constrained by social and economic considerations associated with the introduction of new technology and land uses. Because of the immensity of the problems to be overcome and the increasing yields being obtained from other more productive areas. it may well be that the best strategy is to use natural salt-affected areas for other purposes orientated more towards conservation whilst preventing the spread of secondary salinity. The contributed papers vary greatly in subject matter, from taxonomic and physiological
considerations to demonstration plots of practical management procedures. Undoubted]! much research remains to be done. Particular deficiencies identified include a need for a more experimental treatment and the gearing of grazing and cropping systems to the biology, of the different plant and animal species concerned. With such a diverse treatment of a complex subject. the editors are to be congratulated in the presentation and the quality of the papers. The cost is high and may inhibit individuals from buying the book. This is regrettable. for a wealth of information is provided and the book serves as a good example for a wider audience of the value to be derived from bringing together researchers and land-managers so as to develop a more integrated approach to rational use of difficult. marginal areas.
Two main disturbance issues worrying mankind, aciditication and COZ accumulation in are mentioned but not the atmosphere, treated in any detail. Of course, one may argue that each of these topics would require (and in fact have repeatedly received) a separate treatment. For the readers of Landscape and Urban Planning, the sections on the Biosphere (with a short paper by G.M. Woodell) and the two papers in the Landscape section will be of special interest. It is certainly worthwhile having the ideas of Godron and Forman effectively summarized, although most of it has recently been published elsewhere. In relation to their contribution in particular, one would have wished to see a compilation of Northwest European literature on degrees of naturalness, the occurrences of neophytes, and problems with exotic organisms and related topics. The production of the book is first-class. A full list of contents, reference lists to each chapter and an effective index contribute to the value of the book. The French resume added to each chapter (but not to Chapter 5.2.!) is a nice “hommage” to the French authors (or may be rather an adaptation to French science policy), but in fact is almost superfluous.
E.VANDERMAAREL Institute of Ecological Botany University of Uppsala Box 559 S- 75122 Uppsala Sweden
FORAGE AND FUEL PRODUCTION FROM SALT-AFFECTED WASTELAND
Forage and Fuel Production.fiom Salt-Aifkcted Wasteland. E.G. Barrett-Lennard, C.V. Malcolm, W.R. Stern and S.M. Wilkins (Editors). Elsevier Science Publishers, Sara Burgerhartstraat 25, P.O. Box 2 11, 1000 AE Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 1986, 459 pp., illustrated, price Dfl. 200.00, U.S.A. $74.00, ISBN O-444-4265 l-5.
This book is the proceedings of a seminar held at Cunderlin, Western Australia, in May 1984. The seminar was concerned with the growing of highly salt-tolerant plants under natural rainfall in salt-affected soils for the production of forage and fuel. Increasing soil salinity and a resultant loss of biological productivity are two of the oldest environmental problems with which people have had to deal. The disappearances of some ancient civilisations have been attributed to these causes. Whilst the 2-year delay in publication is regrettable, the proceedings represent an authoritative and wide-ranging account of current knowledge. Undoubtedly the book will be an important reference text for many years ahead and will stimulate new initiatives in this inadequately researched field. Perhaps more encourage better importantly it should exchanges of information and experience between researchers and land-managers. The reference lists following each paper provide a good insight into the extent of past research. The first part of the proceedings consists of 16 country reports covering Argentina, Australia, Chad and Senegal, Chile, Egypt. Ethiopia, India, Iraq, Israel, Kenya, Pakistan, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, Tunisia, and the U.S.A. and Canada. In the second part there are 18 contributed papers organised into five main sections, namely: Salt-affected wasteland: nature and distribution: Salt-tolerant plant resources; Production from salt-affected soil; Establishment problems and methods: Utilisation, management and social aspects. The country reports give valuable accounts of the national distributions of salt-affected soils, records of native and introduced species of salt-tolerant plants. techniques of establishment, reclamation, rehabilitation and utilisation, and current research. The process of salinisation occurs on all continents, under various climatic regimes and in different soil classes. For the countries sur-
178
veyed. the percentage of land with salt-affected soil varies up to 20% for Iraq. About 7(/o of the world’s land area is affected. Secondary salinity. arising from such activities as irrigation and extending unsuitable agriculture into arid lands, is expanding and resulting in decreased production, increasing soil erosion and economic hardship. There seems general agreement among the contributors that as the world population increases there will be growing pressure to increase fodder and fuel yields from saltaffected areas. Several contributors suggest that these pressures will be constrained by social and economic considerations associated with the introduction of new technology and land uses. Because of the immensity of the problems to be overcome and the increasing yields being obtained from other more productive areas. it may well be that the best strategy is to use natural salt-affected areas for other purposes orientated more towards conservation whilst preventing the spread of secondary salinity. The contributed papers vary greatly in subject matter, from taxonomic and physiological
considerations to demonstration plots of practical management procedures. Undoubted]! much research remains to be done. Particular deficiencies identified include a need for a more experimental treatment and the gearing of grazing and cropping systems to the biology, of the different plant and animal species concerned. With such a diverse treatment of a complex subject. the editors are to be congratulated in the presentation and the quality of the papers. The cost is high and may inhibit individuals from buying the book. This is regrettable. for a wealth of information is provided and the book serves as a good example for a wider audience of the value to be derived from bringing together researchers and land-managers so as to develop a more integrated approach to rational use of difficult. marginal areas.