Summary:
Eucalyptus globulus is a valuable wood species in the Iberian Peninsula, however its effects on water resources are a current concern, particularly under dry conditions. Furthermore, it is not fully understood how this exotic species interact for water with native woody species. Still lacking and highly needed is the understanding of the complex interactions and plant water uptake strategies across different plantation types (i.e. co-occurring or not with other woody species) and climatic conditions. Beyond the amount of water used, it is a great gap of knowledge in which water-source the species rely on. Within this context, water-sources-use patterns are a crucial topic to be studied in eucalyptus plantations; to determine which water source is preferential, if there is competition for water among co-existing woody species, and how water-sources-use shape plants vitality under different climatic conditions. Balancing forest productivity and ecosystem services driven by increasing biodiversity is a challenge but also an important opportunity to a more sustainable forest management. This project, in collaboration with RAIZ (Forest and Paper Research Institute), aims to assess water-resources’ dynamics between E. globulus and other coexisting native woody-species, seasonally and under contrasting climatic conditions. Stable isotopic approaches, leaf-level physiological measurements, multivariate approaches, and modelling will be used to achieve the proposed aims. Plant water-use strategies will be defined and possible scenarios and solutions will be developed to optimize water-resources-use and increase ecosystem services, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable management of forest plantations.
Keywords:
Resource partitioning; Stable isotopes; Plant-plant interactions; Forest Management
Funding Institution:
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)
