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Salinity is a major environmental issue in Australia. Salinity describes the salt content of water or soil. When the salt content rises to an extreme, it degrades the water quality and land efficiency. This is the problem that is being faced in Australia; salt levels are becoming so extreme that is affecting plant and animal survival, thus damaging infrastructure.
Dryland salinity is caused when the rising water-table surfaces natural salts in the soil. The salt remains in the soil and becomes increasingly concentrated as the water evaporates or is used by plants (Australian Government, 2001). One of the main causes for rising water-tables is the removal of the native Australian vegetation. They have deeper roots and use more water than the crop plants that are replacing them. The crop plants have short roots and cannot absorb as much water as the native plants, therefore causing the water-table to rise and bring salt to the surface. Dryland salinity is having detrimental effects......

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Approximate Word Count: 1434
Approximate Pages: 6 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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