Abstract
Abstract Shallow groundwater can often develop when perennial ecosystems are replaced by annual agriculture. Returning trees to these landscapes is one option available to farmers to use more of the incident rainfall and stop the rising water table before it begins to affect production of the traditionally planted crops and pastures. This study examines the growth and water use of mallee (multi-stemmed) eucalypts in landscape positions with different water availability, integrated into an annual cropping and pasture farming system in the dryland agricultural zone of Western Australia. We found a ten-fold difference in biomass accumulation and a six-fold difference in rates of water use depending on water availability. Water use on a leaf area basis appeared to be independent of changes in water availability but transpiration efficiency in terms of grams of carbon fixed per litre of water transpired increased with increasing water availability. Thoughtful placement of trees in the landscape will minimize the area of land required to be planted to have the desired effect on the local hydrology, thus maximizing the amount of land on which the traditional annual crops and pastures can continue to be grown.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.