Soil Salinization, a salty problem for coastal forest management
Soil salinization is negatively impacting the productivity of coastal forests in parts of the southeastern U.S. To build resilience to this threat, the USDA Southeast Climate Hub developed a manual to help coastal landowners and technical service providers identify potential salinity issues on their forestland and mitigate impacts or adapt management practices, when possible, to keep their land economically productive.
Coastal forests in parts of the Southeast U.S. are negatively affected by saltwater intrusion and soil salinization due to sea-level rise, storms, tides, droughts, and water resources management. Elevated salinity levels cause forest loss, increases in salt-tolerant invasive species, and marsh migration. In addition, vegetation stressed by salinization is more susceptible to mortality by events such as droughts, hurricanes, and fires. After hosting a Soil Salinization Workshop with subject matter experts in the region, the USDA Southeast Climate Hub developed the Identification, Mitigation, and Adaptation to Salinization on Working Lands in the U.S Southeast manual, to address a critical knowledge gap identified during the workshop. The manual is designed to assist extension agents, landowners, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service field staff, and private consultants in determining the stage and severity of soil salinization on their forest land. It also provides guidance on early harvest, conversion to conservation easement, and alternative, salt-tolerant crop considerations when forestry operations are no longer economically viable. As more land becomes vulnerable to salinization impacts, this manual will continue to increase in importance.
Pictured: Cover of the Identification, Mitigation, and Adaptation to Salinization on Working Lands in the U.S. Southeast manual
Research Partners: USFS Northern Research Station
Contact: Steve McNulty and Michael Gavazzi, USDA Southeast Climate Hub / Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center. Steven.Mcnulty@usda.gov. michael.gavazzi@usda.gov
