Hydrological consequences of Eucalyptus afforestation in the Argentine Pampas

The impacts of a 40 ha stand of Eucalyptus camaldulensis in the Pampas grasslands of Argentina were explored for 2 years using a novel combination of sap flow, groundwater data, soil moisture measurements, and modeling. Sap flow measurements showed transpiration rates of 2–3.7 mm d−1, lowering groundwater levels by more than 0.5 m with respect to the surrounding grassland. This hydraulic gradient induced flow from the grassland areas into the plantation and resulted in a rising of the plantation water table at night. Groundwater use estimated from diurnal water table fluctuations correlated well with sap flow (p < 0.001, r2 = 0.78). Differences between daily sap flow and the estimates of groundwater use were proportional to changes in surface soil moisture content (p < 0.001, r2 = 0.75). E. camaldulensis therefore used both groundwater and vadose zone moisture sources, depending on soil water availability. Model results suggest that groundwater sources represented ∼67% of total annual water use.

[1]  Robert B. Jackson,et al.  Effects of afforestation on water yield: a global synthesis with implications for policy , 2005 .

[2]  R. B. Jackson,et al.  Variation in Xylem Structure and Function in Stems and Roots of Trees to 20 M Depth , 2004 .

[3]  R. B. Jackson,et al.  Groundwater use and salinization with grassland afforestation , 2004 .

[4]  W. Kinzelbach,et al.  Estimation of the evapotranspiration rate from diurnal groundwater level fluctuations in the Okavango Delta, Botswana , 2004 .

[5]  S. Tyerman,et al.  Floodwater infiltration through root channels on a sodic clay floodplain and the influence on a local tree species Eucalyptus largiflorens , 2003, Plant and Soil.

[6]  J. Gyenge,et al.  Silvopastoral systems in Northwestern Patagonia II: water balance and water potential in a stand of Pinus ponderosa and native grassland , 2002, Agroforestry Systems.

[7]  G. Walker,et al.  Variations in stream water uptake by Eucalyptus camaldulensis with differing access to stream water , 1994, Oecologia.

[8]  Peter J. Thorburn,et al.  Sources of water used by riparian Eucalyptus camaldulensis overlying highly saline groundwater , 1994, Oecologia.

[9]  M. Zárate.  Loess of southern South America , 2003 .

[10]  R. B. Jackson,et al.  Patterns and mechanisms of soil acidification in the conversion of grasslands to forests , 2003 .

[11]  Richard J. Hobbs,et al.  Ecological consequences of altered hydrological regimes in fragmented ecosystems in southern Australia: Impacts and possible management responses , 2002 .

[12]  M. Williams,et al.  Forest canopy hydraulic properties and catchment water balance: observations and modeling , 2002 .

[13]  R. B. Jackson,et al.  Ecosystem carbon loss with woody plant invasion of grasslands , 2002, Nature.

[14]  Roger Jones,et al.  The effects of large-scale afforestation and climate change on water allocation in the Macquarie River catchment, NSW, Australia. , 2002, Journal of environmental management.

[15]  R. León,et al.  Cross‐scale vegetation patterns of Flooding Pampa grasslands , 2001 .

[16]  R. B. Jackson,et al.  Water in a changing world , 2001 .

[17]  K. Mahmood,et al.  Groundwater uptake and sustainability of farm plantations on saline sites in Punjab province, Pakistan , 2001 .

[18]  B. Law,et al.  Use of a simulation model and ecosystem flux data to examine carbon-water interactions in ponderosa pine. , 2001, Tree physiology.

[19]  J. Wright,et al.  Latin American Forest Plantations: Opportunities for Carbon Sequestration, Economic Development, and Financial Returns , 2000 .

[20]  R. B. Jackson,et al.  Global patterns of root turnover for terrestrial ecosystems , 2000 .

[21]  Frederick C. Meinzer,et al.  Potential errors in measurement of nonuniform sap flow using heat dissipation probes. , 1999, Tree physiology.

[22]  C. Colvin,et al.  A review of information on interactions between vegetation and groundwater , 1999 .

[23]  Peter J. Thorburn,et al.  Transpiration and groundwater uptake from farm forest plots of Casuarina glauca and Eucalyptus camaldulensis in saline areas of southeast Queensland, Australia , 1999 .

[24]  J. Morris,et al.  Water use and salt accumulation by Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Casuarina cunninghamiana on a site with shallow saline groundwater , 1999 .

[25]  A. Heuperman.  Hydraulic gradient reversal by trees in shallow water table areas and repercussions for the sustainability of tree-growing systems , 1999 .

[26]  R. Rivas,et al.  Groundwater recharge in the Azul Aquifer, central Buenos Aires Province, Argentina , 1999 .

[27]  C. Morhange,et al.  New data on historical relative sea level movements in Pozzuoli, phlaegrean fields, Southern Italy , 1999 .

[28]  E. Rastetter,et al.  Seasonal variation in net carbon exchange and evapotranspiration in a Brazilian rain forest: a modelling analysis , 1998 .

[29]  I. Calder.  Water use by forests, limits and controls. , 1998, Tree physiology.

[30]  D. Richardson.  Forestry Trees as Invasive Aliens , 1998 .

[31]  David Rind,et al.  An Efficient Approach to Modeling the Topographic Control of Surface Hydrology for Regional and Global Climate Modeling , 1997 .

[32]  S. Wofsy,et al.  Modelling the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum in a Quercus-Acer stand at Harvard Forest : the regulation of stomatal conductance by light, nitrogen and soil/plant hydraulic properties , 1996 .

[33]  R. Oren,et al.  Radial patterns of xylem sap flow in non‐, diffuse‐ and ring‐porous tree species , 1996 .

[34]  P. Farrington,et al.  Water use of plantation Eucalyptus camaldulensis estimated by groundwater hydrograph separation techniques and heat pulse method , 1994 .

[35]  Peter J. Thorburn,et al.  Combining measurements of transpiration and stable isotopes of water to determine groundwater discharge from forests , 1993 .

[36]  Ian R. Calder,et al.  Hydrological impact of Eucalyptus plantation in India , 1993 .

[37]  N. Schofield,et al.  Lowering of a shallow, saline water table by extensive eucalypt reforestation , 1992 .

[38]  A. Soriano.  Rio de la Plata grasslands , 1992 .

[39]  A. Mather.  Afforestation : Policies, Planning and Progress , 1992 .

[40]  A. Mannion.  The earth as transformed by human action , 1991 .

[41]  G. D. Watson,et al.  Evaporation from dampland vegetation on a groundwater mound. , 1990 .

[42]  John H. C. Gash,et al.  Vapour flux density and transpiration rate comparisons in a stand of Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) in Les Landes forest , 1990 .

[43]  A. Granier,et al.  Evaluation of transpiration in a Douglas-fir stand by means of sap flow measurements. , 1987, Tree physiology.

[44]  J. Tricart.  Geomorfología de la Pampa Deprimida : base para los estudios edafológicos y agronómicos , 1973 .

[45]  M. Sengupta.  Hydrologic Impact , 2022, Environmental Impacts of Mining.