permaculture

[Neil Bertrando <neilbertrando@gmail.com>]

I compiled this for my PDC class and thought people on this list might find
it useful.

Any feedback and additions to strategies and resources is always
appreciated.

On Mon, Oct 22, 2012 at 2:52 PM, Neil Bertrando 
<neilbertrando@gmail.com>wrote:

> At last Class, a question was asked about salty soils.
>
> We discussed that there are only a few options for treating salty soils,
> which are defined as soils haveing a large concentration of soluble mineral
> salt ions.
>
>    1. leave them alone
>    2. wash them through using water which is less salty (washes salts to
>    another location either downstream or into groundwater aquifers)
>    3. immobilize and cycle the salts by binding them up in living
>    organisms and on soil organic matter surfaces (increased CEC)
>    4. Dig out the salt affected soils and remove them -- landfill
>
> my preferred option is usually # 3 and I feel it is valuable to know the
> options when assessing a site.  Salt export from the site can be designed
> in for example by feeding vegetation to animals which are sold, eaten,
> etc.or cultivating salt tolerant herbs or crops eaten or sold.  Locally
> adapted species can be found by visiting salt-marshes or other saline areas
> and observing and identifying species along a salt gradient.  These may
> also be locations for collecting plant materials.  After a local list is
> made, climate analogues can be researched to add to diversity and use
> potential.
>
> We reviewed the process of salt soil formation: evapo-concentration of
> minerals which are usually carried in by water (or deposited by settling or
> applied by humans)
>
> so any long term salt management strategy will include methods that
> decrease evaporation (which is a primary design strategy in drylands)
>
> Here are some resources on phytoremediation.  for each site a suite of
> locally adapted plants can be selected which i would include in plans for
> option 3 portions of soil salt management strategies.
> http://www.icarda.org/docrep/Articles/Phytoremediation.pdf provides a
> survey of the science
> http://www.ecological-engineering.com/phytorem.html describes process and
> has a short plant list at bottom
> http://www.wseas.us/e-library/conferences/2007creteeeesd/papers/562-129.pdf 
> this
> paper demonstrates the difference between salt tolerance and salt
> bioaccumulation (removal)  both species can be useful as part of a salt
> soil ecology
> http://bioeng.ca/pdfs/meeting-papers/2005/CSAE%20papers/05-052.pdf atriplex
> genus as a salty soil plant (also good browse, included orache)
>
> a list of halophytes (salt tolerant plants) from wikipedia
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Halophytes
>
> salt tolerante cand crop potential of halophytes
>
> http://www.redsalinidad.com.ar/assets/files/mejoramiento/blumwaldhalophytes.pdf
>
> evolution of halophytes
>
> http://www.tempoandmode.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/flowersevolutionhalophytesfuncplbiol10.pdf
>
> arid western us habitats
> http://www.oregon.gov/dsl/WETLAND/docs/specialized_habitats_aridwest.pdf
>
> great basin plant adaptation
> http://redbuttecanyon.net/pubs/comstock_ehleringer.pdf
>
> great basin salt playa seed bank
>
> http://www.halophyte.org/pdfs/gulpapers/Seed%20bank%20dynamics%20in%20a%20Great%20Basin%20salt%20playa.pdf
>
> great basin salt plants chapter book preview (fairly extensive plant list)
>
> http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=vazyaTYLkUEC&oi=fnd&pg=PA69&ots=RJAIclOL5D&sig=sCBVyOZPuMWC3vblMFGRaQa2Jf8#v=onepage&q&f=false
>
> and a case study of one of the Jordan projects
>
> http://www.proactnetwork.org/proactwebsite/media/download/CCA_DRR_reports/casestudies/em.report.case_9.pdf
>
> and some dryland water strategies
>
> http://permaculturenews.org/2012/09/15/reflections-on-dryland-water-management-in-portugal/
>
> cheers,
> Neil
>