Impacts of tree plantations on groundwater in south-eastern Australia
Richard G. Benyon A C , S. Theiveyanathan B and Tanya M. Doody AA Ensis, PO Box 946, Mount Gambier, SA 5290, Australia.
B Ensis, PO Box E4008, Kingston, ACT 2604, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: richard.benyon@ensisjv.com
Australian Journal of Botany 54(2) 181-192 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT05046
Submitted: 8 March 2005 Accepted: 27 September 2005 Published:
Abstract
In some regions dependent on groundwater, such as the lower south-east of South Australia in the Green Triangle, deep-rooted, woody vegetation might have undesirable hydrological impacts by competing for finite, good-quality groundwater resources. In other regions, such as the Riverina in south-central New South Wales, where rising watertables and associated salinisation is threatening the viability of agriculture, woody vegetation might have beneficial hydrological impacts. In response to a growing need to better understand the impacts of tree plantations on groundwater, annual evapotranspiration and transpiration were measured at 21 plantation sites in the Green Triangle and the Riverina. Sources of tree water uptake from rainfall and groundwater were determined by measurements of evapotranspiration and soil water over periods of 2–5 years. In the Green Triangle, under a combination of permeable soil over groundwater of low salinity (<2000 mg L–1) at 6-m depth or less, in a highly transmissive aquifer, annual evapotranspiration at eight research sites in Pinus radiata D.Don and Eucalyptus globulus Labill. plantations averaged 1090 mm year–1 (range 847–1343 mm year–1), compared with mean annual precipitation of 630 mm year–1. These plantation sites used groundwater at a mean annual rate of 435 mm year–1 (range 108–670 mm year–1). At eight other plantation sites that had greater depth to the watertable or a root-impeding layer, annual evapotranspiration was equal to, or slightly less than, annual rainfall (mean 623 mm year–1, range 540–795 mm year–1). In the Riverina, where groundwater was always present within 3 m of the surface, Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden trees at three sites with medium or heavy clay, alkaline, sodic, saline subsoils used little or no groundwater, whereas E. grandis and Corymbia maculata (Hook.) K.D.Hill and L.A.S.Johnson trees at a site with a neutral sandy soil and groundwater of low salinity used 380 and 730 mm year–1 of groundwater (respectively 41 and 53% of total annual evapotranspiration). We conclude that commonly grown Eucalyptus species and P. radiata are able to use groundwater under a combination of light- or medium-textured soil and shallow depth to a low-salinity watertable.
Acknowledgments
Thanks go to technical staff, including Mark Tunningley, Michele Michael, Ian Craig, Dean Tompkins, Leroy Stewart, David Gritton and Kevin Nickolls. Thanks go also to Quinton Clasen and Melissa Cann who conducted soil classifications at some of the Green Triangle sites. Site access in the Green Triangle was provided by ForestrySA, Auspine, Green Triangle Forest Products, Woakwine Pastoral Co. Pty Ltd, Balak Park Pty Ltd, WA Plantation Resources, GPFL, Martin Harvey and Tony Buffon. Site access in the Riverina was provided by Bruce Moore, Geoff and Leanne Small, Bill and Elwin Hermiston and Ray Baxter. Funding for the Green Triangle sites was provided by CSIRO, the South Australian Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation, the South East Catchment Water Management Board, ForestrySA, the Natural Heritage Trust, Auspine, Green Triangle Forest Products, the Forest and Wood Products Research and Development Corporation, the Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority, the Green Triangle Regional Plantation Committee and the District Council of Grant. Funding for the Riverina sites was provided by CSIRO, Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry-Australia (AFFA), and the Natural Heritage Trust in Collaboration with State Forests of NSW. David Sheriff and Bob Teskey initiated the water-use studies in radiata pine in the Green Triangle. Sadanandan Nambiar, Clive Carlyle, Brian Myers, Don White and Barrie May provided valuable advice and support at various times. Michael Battaglia and Jenny Carter reviewed an earlier draft of the manuscript and two anonymous reviewers provided valuable comments on the final draft.
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