Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

A rapid expansion of plantations occurred over 1991 to 2001 in the Great Southern region of Western Australia. From an estate of only 6,150 hectares in 1991, the total area of plantations expanded to just under 127,500 hectares by the start of 2001. Most plantations are located in three local government areas in the region - Albany ....

A large area of softwood plantation has been established in the South West Slopes (SWS) of New South Wales since the 1920s and plantation timber has been processed on a large scale in the region since the 1950s. There has been ongoing expansion in the volume of wood harvested, and in the capacity of processing facilities in the reg ....

A review of the socioeconomic research needs of irrigation communities to help achieve structural changes in the next 30 years identified four broad categories of research needs: social arrangements, economic activity, learning and supporting structures. Within those categories, 16 inter-related research topic areas were identified ....

Impacts of rural land development on natural resources in the United States have been well documented and research on rural land development provides important inputs to land conservation policy and program development. Although numerous landuse studies have been completed for the western and eastern states, still lacking is a single st ....

This information booklet summarises the key findings of a recent study conducted by the Bureau of Rural Sciences, examining socioeconomic impacts of the plantation sector in the Great Southern region of Western Australia and the South West Slopes of New South Wales between 1991 and 2004. The study was funded by the Forest and Wood ....

This chapter explores the role of innovation in responding to the challenges of Australian food security, both in the domestic and global contexts. The chapter explores the challenge to meet increased food demand through innovative production, as well as how best to manage distribution and supply chains. It acknowledges that regional communities ....

Annual report by Southern Rural Water. Overview of governance, customers, stakeholders and financial report.  Report LocationClick here to view the full report ....

During the last 30 years, China has witnessed rapid economic growth and dramatic urbanization, with about 1.2 × 10^7 rural people migrating annually into urban areas. Meanwhile, especially since 1995, the rural population has been declining, which is closely linked to land circulation and the increase in farm size in many villages. Increasing sc ....

Climate projections over the next two to four decades indicate that most of Australia's wheat-belt is likely to become warmer and drier. Here we used a shire scale, dynamic stress-index model that accounts for the impacts of rainfall and temperature on wheat yield, and a range of climate change projections from global circulation models to spatia ....

Facing severe ecological damages and a large population, it is imperative for farmers of the Sichuan Province to seek alternative land-use practices to optimize their production. Agroforestry, the union of agriculture, forestry, and/or livestock in one harmonious system, is one way verified to increase agricultural productivity and to b ....

Since the beginning of the mining boom Australia’s rural sector has lost $61.5 billion in export income. This includes $18.9 billion in 2011-12 alone. These losses have occurred because the mining boom has forced the Australian dollar to historic highs. The damage the mining boom is doing to other sectors has created what has been dubbed the ....

The ability to carry water over between years can increase the efficiency of water use if the rules governing water storage and water allocations are well defined. This report examines water right accounting rules in the Murray-Darling Basin, specifically rules around water storage (also known as carryover) and water allocation decisions. These r ....

The 'Structural adjustment in agriculture and capacity to implement catchment plans' project reports on regional case studies in the Wanilla catchment SA, the Kamarooka region Vic, Lake Warden catchment WA and the Upper Billabong Creek catchment NSW which examined the capacity of local and wider communities to change in a manner th ....

The use of Stylosanthes spp. (stylo) has made a great impact on the agricultural systems in India, especially in improving natural grazing lands, rehabilitating degraded forests and community lands, and rejuvenating rainfed crop and livestock production systems. It supports the livelihood of over 70% of the nomadic and rural popula ....