Book Review
Rural land degradation in Australia
Arthur Conacher and Jeannette Conacher
ISBN: 978-0-195534-36-8 1995 170 pages Oxford University Press, Melbourne
Frank Vanclay
Rural Sociology, Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research, University of Tasmania, TAS
Stewart Lockie
Professor of Sociology, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra
This is one of the titles in the Oxford University Press Meridian series, an innovative, convenient and cheap range of introductory texts on various topics in Australian geography. Land degradation is a highly appropriate topic to be included in this series. What is especially pleasing about this book is that land and land degradation are conceived very broadly. This allows the authors to consider a range of environmental issues not often covered under the rubric of land degradation, including degradation of ecosystems, species extinction, loss of genetic resources, and problems associated with agricultural chemicals, as well as the more commonly included topics such as feral and exotic animals, weed infestation, (agricultural) pest species, and, of course, erosion, salinity and acidity.
The book, as an overview of land degradation, contains an appropriate balance of technical and socio-economic issues. In terms of the latter, the book is focused more on structural processes promoting poor management practices, rather than on fanner behaviour. Styles of farming and farming subcultures are not mentioned, and it is likely that this aspect could have been done better. Nevertheless, their coverage of social and economic issues is much more substantial and acceptable than that of many other books (refer to other reviews in this issue). Issues relating to extension are discussed and the key issues drawn out, although more from the authors' personal experiences than from the theoretical literature. Landcare is mentioned but only in passing. Consequently this too could have been done better. The solutions and conclusions were also a bit weak, but I am not sure that anybody has the definitive answers to this complex problem.
Overall, the book is well written, and while not a research text, is likely to be very useful as an introductory text.
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