Abstract
In Australia, plantations of both pine and eucalypt are major sources of wood. The chapter examines various approaches to defining plantation water use including use of “Zhang” Curves, the Holmes-Sinclair relationship, and “Nänni” curves. All of these lack an Australian experimental plantation base. The results from four paired-catchment studies in Australia examining water use of radiata pine are combined to present a simple model of plantation water use relative to both pasture and native forests. The results show that plantation annual water use is dependent on both annual rainfall and age and is variable on a year to year basis. When averaged over rotations, the water use appears similar to that of native forest at lower rainfalls and is intermediate between pasture and native forest at higher rainfalls. Plot measurements of eucalypt plantations on well-drained slopes give a similar picture. When eucalypt plantations overlie groundwater close to the surface, plantation water use may be higher.
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Bren, L. (2023). Hydrology of Man-Made Forests (Plantations). In: Forest Hydrology and Catchment Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-12840-0_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-12840-0_8
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