Monitoring soil condition across Australia: recommendations from the expert panels

This report recommends a range of protocols and actions required by a number of agencies that will ensure the successful long-term monitoring of soil condition across \nAustralia. The four priority processes which potentially have a major impact on the welfare of the Australian population are wind erosion, water erosion, soil acidification, and soil organic carbon change. \nThese processes are difficult to monitor because they usually affect large areas and are either irregular or progress very slowly. The monitoring protocols released in 2003 did not adequately address these difficulties. \nThe Expert Panels identified a range of factors which require attention. \n• The current institutional framework within Australia is unsuited to long-term monitoring and a long-term mandate is required. \n• The biggest advances in monitoring soil condition are likely to come from improved data for modeling. \n• There are dual objectives for monitoring: local monitoring for project management and accountability, and broader monitoring for the purpose of managing the national soil resource base. These two objectives often demand \ndifferent approaches. \nRecommendations specific to each of the four processes appear in the appropriate chapters.