Abstract
Plant-based management systems implementing deep-rooted, perennial vegetation have been identified as important in mitigating the spread of secondary dryland salinity due to its capacity to influence water table depth. The Glenelg Hopkins catchment is a highly modified watershed in the southwest region of Victoria, where dryland salinity management has been identified as a priority. Empirical relationships between the proportion of native vegetation and in-stream salinity were examined in the Glenelg Hopkins catchment using a linear regression approach. Whilst investigations of these relationships are not unique, this is the first comprehensive attempt to establish a link between land use and in-stream salinity in the study area. The results indicate that higher percentage land cover with native vegetation was negatively correlated with elevated in-stream salinity. This inverse correlation was consistent across the 3 years examined (1980, 1995, and 2002). Recognising the potential for erroneously inferring causal relationships, the methodology outlined here was both a time and cost-effective tool to inform management strategies at a regional scale, particularly in areas where processes may be operating at scales not easily addressed with on-site studies.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Basnyat, P., Teeter, L. D., Flynn, K. M., & Lockaby, B. G. (1999) Relationships between landscape characteristics and nonpoint source pollution inputs to coastal estuaries. Environmental Management, 23, 539–549.
Bolstad, P. V., & Swank, W. T. (1997) Cumulative impacts of landuse on water quality in a southern Appalachian watershed. Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 33, 519–533.
Clarke, C. J., George, R. J., Bell, R. W., & Hatton, T. J. (2002) Dryland salinity in south-western Australia: Its origins, remedies, and future research directions. Australian Journal of Soil Research, 40, 93–113.
Clarke, C. J., Mauger, G. W., Bell, R. W., & Hobbs, R. J. (1998) Computer modelling of the effect of revegetation strategies on salinity in the western wheatbelt of Western Australia – 1. The impact of revegetation strategies. Australian Journal of Soil Research, 36, 109–129.
Cocks, P. S. (2003) Land-use change is the key to protecting biodiversity in salinising landscapes. Australian Journal of Botany, 51, 627–635.
Dahlhaus, P. G., Heislers, D., & Dyson, P. (2002). Groundwater flow systems of the Glenelg Hopkins catchment management authority region, Rep. No. GHCMA 02/02. Buninyong, Australia: Dahlhaus Environmental Geology Pty Ltd.
Dahlhaus, P. G., & MacEwan, R. J. (1997). Dryland salinity in south west Victoria: Challenging the myth. In G. McNally (Ed.), Collected case studies in engineering geology, hydrogeology and environmental geology. Environmental, Engineering and Hydrogeology Specialist Group (EEHSG) of the Geological Society of Australia and Conference Publications.
Dawes, W. R., Gilfedder, M., Stauffacher, M., Coram, J., Hajkowicz, S., Walker, G. R., et al. (2002) Assessing the viability of recharge reduction for dryland salinity control: Wanilla, Eyre Peninsula. Australian Journal of Soil Research, 40, 1407–1424.
Dixon, P. R. (2000) Environmental monitoring in the Glenelg-Hopkins Region with reference to salinity in wetlands and remnant vegetation sites. Melbourne, Australia: Department of Natural Resources and Environment.
Field, A. (2000). Regression. In discovering statistics using SPSS for windows (p. 496). London, England: Sage Publications.
George, R. J., Nulsen, R. A., Ferdowsian, R., & Raper, G. P. (1999) Interactions between trees and groundwaters in recharge and discharge areas – A survey of Western Australian sites. Agricultural Water Management, 39, 91–113.
GHCMA (1997) Glenelg Hopkins Regional Catchment Strategy. Hamilton, Australia: Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority.
GHCMA (2002) Glenelg Hopkins Regional Catchment Strategy 2003–2007. Hamilton, Australia: Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority.
GHCMA (2003) Glenelg Hopkins regional catchment strategy: 2003–2007. Hamilton, Australia: Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority.
GHCMA (2005) Glenelg Hopkins Salinity Plan 2005–2008. Hamilton, Victoria: Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority.
Goss, K. F. (2003) Environmental flows, river salinity and biodiversity conservation: Managing trade-offs in the Murray-Darling basin. Australian Journal of Botany, 51, 619–625.
Hatton, T. J., & Nulsen, R. A. (1999) Towards achieving functional ecosystem mimicry with respect to water cycling in southern Australian agriculture. Agroforestry Systems, 45, 203–214.
Hookey, G. R. (1987) Prediction of delays in groundwater response to catchment clearing. Journal of Hydrology, 94, 181–198.
Ierodiaconou, D., Laurenson, L., Leblanc, M., Stagnitti, F., Duff, G., Salzman, S., et al. (2005) The consequences of land use change on nutrient exports: A regional scale assessment in south-west Victoria, Australia. Journal of Environmental Management, 74, 305–316.
Kleinbaum, D. G., Kupper, L. L., & Muller, K. E. (1988) Applied regression analysis and other multivariable methods (2nd ed.). Boston, MA, USA: PWS-Kent Pub. Co.
Legendre, P. (2001) Model II regression – User’s guide. Departement de sciences biologiques, Universite de Montreal. Available from http://www.fas.umontreal.ca/biol/legendre.
Loh, I. C., & Stokes, R. A. (1981) Predicting stream salinity changes in southwestern Australia. Agricultural Water Management, 4, 227–254.
Maidment, D., & Djokic, D. (2002) Hydrologic and hydraulic modelling support. New York, USA: ESRI Press.
Marcar, N. E., Hossain, A., Crawford, D. F., & Nicholson, A. T. (2000) Evaluation of tree establishment treatments on saline seeps near Wellington and Young in New South Wales. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture, 40, 99–106.
McKergow, L. A., Weaver, D. M., Prosser, I. P., Grayson, R. B., & Reed, A. E. G. (2003) Before and after riparian management: Sediment and nutrient exports from a small agricultural catchment, Western Australia. Journal of Hydrology, 270, 253–272.
Nathan, E. (2000) Giving salt some history and history some salt: Dryland salinity and the Dundas Talbeland. Australian Historical Studies, 31, 222–236.
National Land and Water Resources Audit (2001) Australian dryland salinity assessment 2000: Extent, impacts, processes, monitoring and management options. Turner, ACT: National Land and Water Resources Audit.
Peck, A. J., & Hatton, T. (2003) Salinity and the discharge of salts from catchments in Australia. Journal of Hydrology, 272, 191–202.
Pontius, R. G., Shusas, E., & McEachern, M. (2004) Detecting important categorical land changes while accounting for persistence. Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment, 101, 251–268.
Pretty, J. L., Harrison, S. S. C., Shepherd, D. J., Smith, C., Hildrew, A. G., & Hey, R. D. (2003) River rehabilitation and fish populations: Assessing the benefit of instream structures. Journal of Applied Ecology, 40, 251–265.
Raleigh, R., & Dixon, P. (2005) Environmental monitoring in the Glenelg-Hopkins Region with reference to salinity in wetlands, groundwater and remnant vegetation sites. Hamilton, Australia: Department of Primary Industries.
Ruprecht, J. K., & Schofield, N. J. (1991) Effects of partial deforestation on hydrology and salinity in high salt storage landscapes .1. Extensive block clearing. Journal of Hydrology, 129, 19–38.
Schofield, N. J., & Ruprecht, J. K. (1989) Regional-analysis of stream salinization in southwest Western-Australia. Journal of Hydrology, 112, 19–39.
Smith, W. E., & Nathan, E. (1998). Victorian water quality monitoring network trend analysis: Glenelg catchment management authority area. Melbourne, Australia: Department of Natural Resources.
Sokal, R. R., & Rohlf, F. J. (1995) Biometry: The principles and practice of statistics in biological research (3rd ed.). New York: W.H. Freeman.
Stirzaker, R. J., Lefroy, E. C., & Ellis, T. W. (2002) An index for quantifying the trade-off between drainage and productivity in tree-crop mixtures. Agricultural Water Management, 53, 187–199.
Tweed, S. O., Leblanc, M., Webb, J. A., & Lubczynski, M. W. (2007) Remote sensing and GIS for mapping groundwater recharge and discharge areas in salinity prone catchments, southeastern Australia. Hydrogeology Journal, 15, 75–96.
Van Bueren, M., & Price, R. J. (2004) Breaking ground: key findings from 10 years of Australia’s national dryland salinity program land and water resources research and development corporation (Australia). Canberra, ACT.
Versace, V. L., Ierodiaconou, D., Stagnitti, F., Leblanc, M., March, T., & Salzman, S. (2005). Multivariate modelling of the influence of land use on in-stream salinity over multiple spatial scales. In M. De Conceicao Cuhna & C. A. Brebbia (Eds.), Water resources management III. Wessex Institute of Technology.
Williams, J., Bui, E. N., Gardner, E. A., Littleboy, M., & Probert, M. E. (1997). Tree clearing and dryland salinity hazard in the upper Burdekin catchment of north Queensland. Australian Journal of Soil Research, 35, 785–801.
Wood, W. E. (1924) Increase in salt in soil and streams following the destruction of native vegetation. Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Western Australia, 10, 35–47.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Versace, V.L., Ierodiaconou, D., Stagnitti, F. et al. Regional-scale models for relating land cover to basin surface-water quality using remotely sensed data in a GIS. Environ Monit Assess 142, 171–184 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-007-9918-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-007-9918-5