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Climate change adaptation

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Summary

Climate change threatens natural systems and everything that relies on those systems. It affects soil processes, water cycles, biodiversity, fire frequency and intensity and the spread of pests and disease.

A changing climate is a significant challenge to the sustainable management of our soils and landscapes. Adaptive soil management practices and soil monitoring programs which enhance soil health and productivity create an opportunity to mitigate climate change impacts.

This page will help you understand:

the ways in which climate change can impact soils
management practices for building soil resilience.

Climate change impacts

Changes in annual rainfall, shifts in seasonal weather patterns and frequency of extreme weather events due to climate change can negatively affect soil health, by accelerating erosion and nutrient loss processes.

Potential Impacts to Soil	Causes
Increased Soil Erosion	Plant cover provides soil stabilisation and protection against erosion. Drier conditions reduce plant growth and biomass, increasing bare soil and increase soil susceptibility to erosion. Increased frequency in extreme weather events, causing wind and water erosion.
Reduced Soil Organic Matter (SOM)	Higher temperatures increased SOM breakdown by microbes (i.e. carbon mineralisation). Drier conditions reduce plant growth reducing OM inputs.
Altered Microbial Communities	Shift in microbial communities and microbial diversity due to long-term changes in soil temperature and moisture conditions. Reduced microbial biomass due to drier conditions/drought events. Reduced microbial activity due to low soil moisture (drier conditions) and low OM inputs (reduced plant growth).
Altered Soil Nutrient Cycling	Reduced microbial activity due to low soil moisture (drier conditions). Drier conditions reduce plant growth and therefore OM inputs.

This soil degradation coupled with an increased frequency of warmer, drier weather will impact crop yields and productivity in South Australia’s agricultural zone.

Building soil resilience

The severity of climate change impacts on soils and cropping systems can be reduced through soil management practices which improve soil resilience by building up organic matter and enhancing water retention. These practices include stubble retention, reduced tillage (less soil disturbance), using diverse crop rotations (promoting diverse soil microbial communities), implementing perennial production systems (deep rooted crop species rather than annuals), using organic amendments (facilitate carbon sequestration), and implementing cover crops (less susceptible to erosion).

By enhancing soil resilience, land managers can safeguard against climate extremes such as drought and heat stress in crops. Well-structured soils, rich in organic matter are better able to retain water and support nutrient cycling (soil productivity) than poorly structured soils.

To maximise drought tolerance and soil resilience, managers should implement adaptive management strategies which are relevant to the specific crop and soil types on their properties.

Schematic showing five factors for building soil resilience: perennial production systems, carbon storage, good soil structure for water retention, maximising soil cover, and minimising soil disturbance. — Aspects for building soil resilience. Source: DEW 2026

Climate Change Mitigation

Soils play an important role in climate change mitigation, acting as both a source and store for carbon. Management practices which enhance carbon sequestration (i.e. increase organic matter inputs) and retention in soils can help alter atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, which are contributing to climate change. Monitoring soil carbon trends in the South Australian agricultural zone can help improve our understanding of how different land management practices and environmental factors drive changes in soil organic carbon and identify opportunities for improved future management.

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