Virtual water content and trade analysis of primary woody products in China

Abstract

SUMMARY China is one of the poorest countries with respect to per capita water resources, and water resources have become an increasingly more important factor restricting the development of China. Virtual water theory provides new ideas and new ways to improve water use efficiency, and to ease water shortages. This paper estimated the virtual water contents of two forests types using the water consumption of forest transpiration with representative species, and thus calculated the virtual water content of primary woody products by using the production tree method, then analyzed the virtual water trade of primary woody products in China. The results show that woody products are water-intensive products, and woody products trade is associated with a huge amount of virtual water trade. The virtual water trade of China's primary woody products belongs to the net imports, but its structure need further be optimized.