Water use by short rotation coppice, short rotation forestry and woodlands

摘要

As demands for water rise, so the impact on water supplies is becoming an increasingly important issue. In relation to woodland creation, water resources are also increasingly important in the UK, as climate change predictions of warmer, drier summersthreaten to constrain scarce supplies. Short rotation coppice (SRC) and short rotation forestry (SRF) are being considered in the UK (and overseas) as methods of providing large quantities of wood over a short time-scale. Both SRC and SRF can potentially use much more water than grass. A number of studies have examined the effects of SRC, which show it can use up to 50% more water than arable crops, such as, barley and wheat. It has been estimated that in order to produce SRC willow at a yield of 12 oven-dry tonnes per hectare, an annual average rainfall of 1200mm (48") is required. However, rainfall is not the sole determinant of a site's suitability for SRC - soil depth, soil type, summer rainfall and winter water-logging are all important factors.These factors are in addition to existing over-arching considerations regarding afforestation, such as, nature conservation, archaeology, landscape and proximity to markets. The document, Short rotation coppice for energy production - hydrological guidelines, by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (2003), is a comprehensive source of guidance.