Acknowledgments

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Acknowledgments
The Agriculture Division of the former DPI is acknowledged for funding this project. Additional funding was received from the former DSE, North Central Catchment Management Authority and West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority to support other aspects of soil health review or research associated with this project.

Several scientists in the former DPI contributed directly to the project through advice, analysis or written contributions. Pauline Mele (DPI Rutherglen) is acknowledged for contributing a soil biology perspective on soil health and James Nuttall (DPI Horsham) for his review of remote sensing as a surrogate for plant and soil health. Nathan Heath (DPI Wodonga) is acknowledged for providing a case study for soil extension based on experiences in North East Victoria. Keith Reynard (DPI Bendigo) carried out a review of data for soil and land in the North Central CMA region. Joanne McNeill and Doug Crawford compiled and analysed soil and land data for the West Gippsland CMA region, using the Land Use Impact Model (LUIM) to develop a regional soil erosion management plan. Doug Crawford (DPI Werribee) and Nathan Robinson (DPI Bendigo) carried out a review of DPI soil datasets and this is provided as a separate report.

Jim Allinson (consultant) and Stuart Boucher are acknowledged for their contribution in preparing a review and report for DSE on the case for investment in soil health.

Other DPI staff; Michael Crawford, Mark Imhof, Mark Allaway, Kimberley Dripps, Melva Ryan and the participants in DPI soil health workshops provided direct and indirect help through activities associated with the development of DPI’s strategic framework for Soil Health. Dr Samantha (Sam) Baxter from Reading University (UK) was supported by this project for a visit to DPI for three weeks and made a significant contribution to the analysis of data and supervision of staff in the use of geostatistics. Steve Williams (DPI Bendigo) is acknowledged for his significant contribution to discussions about data, information and knowledge management. DSE staff; Adam Hood, Shayne Annett, Kim Lowe, Matt White and David Cummings are acknowledged for discussions and advice regarding DSE’s interest in soil health.

During the course of this project, team members were involved in DPI workshops related to policy and project development, with CMAs in the development of soil health strategies and in presentations at public and scientific forums on soil health. Related projects have also helped with formulation of some of the ideas presented in this and the associated reports. In particular, the ORL ‘Our Landscape’ project (MIS 05188) through which the framework attributed to Carl Steinitz has been applied, and the GRDC subsoil constraints project (MIS 07541) which entailed related data analysis for soils in South East Australia especially for functional aspects of subsoils.