Managing for water-use efficient wood production in Eucalyptus globulus plantations

Donald A. White; John F. McGrath; Michael G. Ryan; Michael Battaglia; Daniel S. Mendham; Joe Kinal; Geoffrey M. Downes; D. Stuart Crombie; Mark E. Hunt

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2014.08.020

Treesearch

Managing for water-use efficient wood production in Eucalyptus globulus plantations

Formally Refereed

Authors:

Donald A. White, John F. McGrath, Michael G. Ryan, Michael Battaglia, Daniel S. Mendham, Joe Kinal, Geoffrey M. Downes, D. Stuart Crombie, Mark E. Hunt

Year:

2014

Type:

Scientific Journal

Station:

Rocky Mountain Research Station

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2014.08.020

Source:

Forest Ecology and Management. 331: 272-280.

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Abstract

This paper tests the hypothesis that thinning and nitrogen fertiliser can increase the mass of wood produced per volume of water used (evapotranspiration) by plantations of Eucalyptus globulus. We have called this plantation water productivity (PWPWOOD) and argue that, for a given genotype, this term integrates the effects of management, site and climate on both production and evapotranspiration. This is done using annual estimates of wood production and evapotranspiration from age three years to harvest age (~age 10 years) in three E. globulus stocking density by nitrogen experiments. The ratio of annual rainfall to potential evaporation at these three sites varied from 0.85 to 0.45.

Keywords

drought risk, nitrogen, thinning, water-productivity

Citation

White, Donald A.; McGrath, John F.; Ryan, Michael G.; Battaglia, Michael; Mendham, Daniel S.; Kinal, Joe; Downes, Geoffrey M.; Crombie, D. Stuart; Hunt, Mark E. 2014. Managing for water-use efficient wood production in Eucalyptus globulus plantations. Forest Ecology and Management. 331: 272-280.