EROSION AND SOIL PRODUCTIVITY IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW-ZEALAND

Soil erosion assumes a different form in Australia and New Zealand. Sh eet, rill and gully erosion are common in eastern Australia and wind e rosion in the dry cropland areas. In New Zealand, mass movement domina tes the erosion landscape but other kinds, including wind erosion, do occur. It is unclear how much of the mass movement is a natural phenom enon and how much is human-induced. In either case, it causes long-ter m reductions in soil productivity. A landmark analysis of the soil pro ductivity loss due to land degradation was conducted by the Australian state of New South Wales. Water erosion was a greater problem than wi nd erosion, but soil structure deterioration was more costly than eith er kind of erosion.