Plantations, river flows and river salinity

Abstract

Large-scale plantation development will exert additional pressure on a water resource system that is already under considerable stress. Tree planting will reduce river flows and recharge to groundwater and, in certain circumstances, may lead to short-term worsening of river salinity prior to any improvement. Reductions in flow will be particularly problematic during dry spells, when water resources are sorely stretched. Most of the likely hydrologic impacts of afforestation can be predicted using current catchment models, but new field data are needed to test and improve their accuracy. Reductions in river flow induced by afforestation can be minimised with careful planning, and variousstrat..