Paddock plantations: keep trees or return land to farming?

摘要

Sharefarming with the WA Department of Environment and Conservation, Robert and Robin Bowles planted Tasmanian bluegums at their Waroona property near Bun-bury in south-west Western Australia in 1988. Despite their high rainfall zone, the bluegums didn't reach their potential and were deemed unviable after eight years. The decision was made to convert the land back to agricultural production. "Due to the nature of our duplex soils, there is a clay layer about 450 millimetres under the surface which acts as a barrier for water and resulted in the trees becoming waterlogged, with the roots unable to get down deep enough into the soil. In summer there was virtually no root system," Robert says.