Soil Salinity Related to the Clearing of Natural Vegetation

Abstract

In 1940 the late Mr. Milne visited a group of sisal estates in the lOW-lying country at the foot of an escarpment where encroaching soil salinity had been reporte.d. He left a comprehensive report which is of general interest because it points to a closer relation between soil conditions of upland and ajacent lowland than is generally realized and the phenomenon may repeat itself elsewhere. The conception of a catena or topographic sequence of soils implies that each type in the series is inter-related and affects the other. Here, where the problem centres on two very mobile soil constituents-water and soluble salts-the catenary aspect is important; in fact, without appreciation of it, the appearance of toxic amounts of salt and the possibilities of encroachment or recession are largely unpredictable. The following summarizes Mr. Milne's report. The junior author was concerned with the investigation and was responsible for the analytical work.