IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ags/uwapdp/232280.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Economic Modelling of Dryland Salinity in Western Australia

Author

Listed:
  • Gomboso, J.

Abstract

The clearing of land for agricultural purposes in the low rainfall areas of south-west Western Australia has resulted in soluble salts being transported from upslope recharge areas, through groundwater flows, to downslope discharge areas. Dryland salinity is not confined to individual properties. It may disperse among properties and catchments and is thus a common property problem. In an attempt to model the effect of natural resource utilisation and the divergence between private and socially optimal rates of land degradation resulting from the exploitation of common resources, a dynamic optimisation model of soil salinity has been developed. The objective of soil conservation models may not necessarily be to stop future degradation in its entirety, but to ensure that all resources are applied to their highest value combination of end uses, both currently and in the future (Morris et al, 1988). The model is also used to examine the steady-state solution to optimal control. In the case of dryland salinity, a steady-state equilibrium occurs when the hydrological balance is in equilibrium. Salinisation of dryland areas has been caused predominantly by the removal of high water-using, deep-rooted native forest, and its replacement with shallow-rooted annual crops and pastures. Agricultural expansion in the low rainfall areas of south-west Western Australia has modified the natural water balance, thereby affecting the volume and flow of surface and ground water. The resultant change in the hydrological balance of the soil brings rising water tables and stored salts to the surface, and evaporation causes these salts to be left behind.

Suggested Citation

  • Gomboso, J., 1990. "Economic Modelling of Dryland Salinity in Western Australia," Discussion Papers 232280, University of Western Australia, School of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:uwapdp:232280
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.232280
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/232280/files/uwa-discussionpapers-004-090.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22004/ag.econ.232280?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kenneth E. McConnell, 1983. "An Economic Model of Soil Conservation," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 65(1), pages 83-89.
    2. Dinar, Ariel & Knapp, Keith C., 1988. "Economic Analysis Of On-Farm Solutions To Drainage Problems In Irrigated Agriculture," Australian Journal of Agricultural Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 32(1), pages 1-14, April.
    3. J. Salerian, 1989. "Application of an Economic Model to Dryland Soil Salinity in Western Australia," Economics Discussion / Working Papers 89-25, The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics.
    4. P. J. Greig & P. G. Devonshire, 1981. "Tree Removals And Saline Seepage In Victorian Catchments: Some Hydrologic And Economic Results," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 25(2), pages 134-148, August.
    5. G. C. Kooten & Ward P. Weisensel & E. Jong, 1989. "Estimating the Costs of Soil Erosion in Saskatchewan," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 37(1), pages 63-75, March.
    6. Keith C. Knapp, 1984. "Steady-State Solutions to Soil Salinity Optimization Problems," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 66(3), pages 279-285.
    7. Loh, I. C. & Stokes, R. A., 1981. "Predicting stream salinity changes in South-Western Australia," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 4(1-3), pages 227-254, August.
    8. Holmes, J. W. & Wronski, E. B., 1981. "The influence of plant communities upon the hydrology of catchments," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 4(1-3), pages 19-34, August.
    9. Clyde Kiker & Gary Lynne, 1986. "An Economic Model of Soil Conservation: Comment," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 68(3), pages 739-742.
    10. Ian R. Wills, 1987. "Resource Degradation On Agricultural Land: Information Problems, Market Failures And Government Intervention," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 31(1), pages 45-55, April.
    11. Oscar R. Burt, 1981. "Farm Level Economics of Soil Conservation in the Palouse Area of the Northwest," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 63(1), pages 83-92.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ekbom, Anders & Brown, Gardner M. & Sterner, Thomas, 2009. "Muddy Waters: Soil Erosion and Downstream Externalities," Working Papers in Economics 341, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics.
    2. Smith, Elwin G. & Lerohl, Mel L. & Messele, Teklay, 1999. "Optimum Soil Quality Attribute Levels And Values," 1999 Annual Meeting, July 11-14, 1999, Fargo, ND 35697, Western Agricultural Economics Association.
    3. Amrita Chatterjee & Arpita Ghose, 2015. "A Dynamic Economic Model of Soil Conservation Involving Genetically Modified Crop," Working Papers id:6623, eSocialSciences.
    4. Eaton, Derek J.F., 1996. "The Economics of Soil Erosion: A Model of Farm Decision-Making," Discussion Papers 24134, International Institute for Environment and Development, Environmental Economics Programme.
    5. J. Salerian, 1989. "Application of an Economic Model to Dryland Soil Salinity in Western Australia," Economics Discussion / Working Papers 89-25, The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics.
    6. Hoag, Dana L., 1998. "The intertemporal impact of soil erosion on non-uniform soil profiles: A new direction in analyzing erosion impacts," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 56(4), pages 415-429, April.
    7. Coxhead, Ian A. & Demeke, Bayou, 2006. "Modeling Spatially Differentiated Environmental Policy in a Philippine Watershed: Tradeoffs between Environmental Protection and Poverty Reduction," 2006 Annual meeting, July 23-26, Long Beach, CA 21115, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    8. Lakshminarayan, P. G. & Atwood, J. D. & Johnson, Stanley R. & Sposito, V. A., 1991. "Compromise Solution for Economic-Environmental Decisions in Agriculture," Staff General Research Papers Archive 375, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    9. Brady, Mark & Hedlund, Katarina & Cong, Rong-Gang & Hemerik, Lia & Hotes, Stefan & Machado, Stephen & Mattsson, Lennart & Schulz, Elke & Thomsen, Ingrid K., 2015. "Valuing Supporting Soil Ecosystem Services in Agriculture: a Natural Capital Approach," MPRA Paper 112303, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Amrita Chatterjee & Arpita Ghose, 2016. "A dynamic economic model of soil conservation and drought tolerance involving genetically modified crops," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 18(1), pages 40-66, October.
    11. Ian A. COXHEAD, 1995. "Economic Modeling Of Land Degradation In Developing Countries," Staff Papers 385, University of Wisconsin Madison, AAE, revised May 1996.
    12. Gillespie, Jeffrey M. & Hatch, L. Upton & Duffy, Patricia A., 1990. "Effect Of The 1985 Farm Bill Provisions On Farmers' Soil Conservation Decisions," Southern Journal of Agricultural Economics, Southern Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 22(2), pages 1-11, December.
    13. Bailey, DeeVon & Helms, Gary L., 1985. "An Analysis Of Alternative Tillage Practices On Non-Irrigated Grain Farms: A Whole-Farm Simulation Approach," 1985 Annual Meeting, August 4-7, Ames, Iowa 278648, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    14. Goetz, Renan, 1995. "Diversification and Sustainable Agricultural Production-The Case of Soil Erosion," CUDARE Working Papers 201477, University of California, Berkeley, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
    15. Subhrendu Pattanayak & D. Evan Mercer, 1998. "Valuing soil conservation benefits of agroforestry: contour hedgerows in the Eastern Visayas, Philippines," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 18(1), pages 31-46, January.
    16. Stevens, Andrew W., 2018. "Review: The economics of soil health," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 1-9.
    17. Carmen Camacho & Alexandre Cornet, 2021. "Diffusion of soil pollution in an agricultural economy. The emergence of regions, frontiers and spatial patterns," PSE Working Papers halshs-02652191, HAL.
    18. Fox, Glenn & Umali, Gloria & Dickinson, Trevor, 1993. "An Economic Analysis of Targeting Soil Conservation Measures," Department of Agricultural Economics and Business 258723, University of Guelph.
    19. Shively, Gerald E., 2001. "Poverty, consumption risk, and soil conservation," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(2), pages 267-290, August.
    20. Hyberg, Bengt, 1988. "Commodity Prices And Interest Rates Influence The Level Of Soil Erosion," Staff Reports 278056, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Crop Production/Industries;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ags:uwapdp:232280. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: AgEcon Search (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/aruwaau.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.