*
 

iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry

*

Soil water deficit as a tool to measure water stress and inform silvicultural management in the Cape Forest Regions, South Africa

Gerhardus Petrus Scheepers, Ben Du Toit   

iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry, Volume 13, Issue 6, Pages 473-481 (2020)
doi: https://doi.org/10.3832/ifor3059-013
Published: Nov 01, 2020 - Copyright © 2020 SISEF

Research Articles


An understanding of variations in water availability to plantation forests on a spatial and temporal scale is essential when designing risk averse and site-specific silvicultural management regimes. Various indices of site water availability were compared to each other and to an independent, unbiased estimate of stand productivity potential, namely site index, across the Tsitsikamma, Knysna and Boland forestry regions of South Africa. This was done to find the balance between water availability indices requiring intensive data inputs (that may be very accurate) and indices with lower input data requirements (but may sacrifice some accuracy). The following indices of water availability (in order from low to higher input data requirements) were tested: Mean Annual Precipitation (MAP); Aridity Index (AI), i.e., MAP as a fraction of mean annual potential evapotranspiration (Ep); Moisture Growing Season (MGS), i.e., the Julian days where long-term MAP exceeds 0.3 times Ep; Water Deficit (WD), an estimate based on a rudimentary water balance with relatively low data inputs. The first three estimates use only climatic variables while the WD incorporates soil water storage capacity to run a water balance calculation. Results showed that both regional climatic variability and soil properties significantly affected the level of water availability, and hence also the potential productivity of pine stands. The shallow and sandy soils from the Knysna and Boland regions exhibited rapid water depletion during periods of decreased precipitation and seasonal shifts, however, the large WD’s (up to 345 mm year-1) observed in several of these sites rapidly changed to surplus values following only one month of high precipitation. Sites from the Tsitsikamma region had significantly larger water retention capabilities and this was attributed to the regional soil properties and climatic conditions. Temporal variations in the WD were also quantified. The WD estimates correlated significantly (r = -0.80, p<0.001) to the respective site indices from sites across all regions. These results underscore the importance of soil water availability on plantation productivity, especially in moderately dry regions or in areas with either shallow soils or a seasonal rainfall pattern. We conclude that the WD is a fairly accurate estimate of site-specific water availability with relatively low data requirements. The WD estimates are far superior to currently used indices of water availability in Southern Africa and has data input requirements that are currently readily available for most plantation forest sites.

  Keywords


Soil Water Availability, Climatic Gradient, Slash Pine, Monterey Pine, Edaphic Properties

Authors’ address

(1)
Gerhardus Petrus Scheepers 0000-0001-7071-7646
Ben Du Toit
Department of Forest and Wood Science, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602 (South Africa)

Corresponding author

 
Ben Du Toit
ben@sun.ac.za

Citation

Scheepers GP, Du Toit B (2020). Soil water deficit as a tool to measure water stress and inform silvicultural management in the Cape Forest Regions, South Africa. iForest 13: 473-481. - doi: 10.3832/ifor3059-013

Academic Editor

Giustino Tonon

Paper history

Received: Feb 05, 2019
Accepted: Aug 17, 2020

First online: Nov 01, 2020
Publication Date: Dec 31, 2020
Publication Time: 2.53 months

Breakdown by View Type

(Waiting for server response...)

Article Usage

Total Article Views: 8010
(from publication date up to now)

Breakdown by View Type
HTML Page Views: 5344
Abstract Page Views: 419
PDF Downloads: 1800
Citation/Reference Downloads: 2
XML Downloads: 445

Web Metrics
Days since publication: 1435
Overall contacts: 8010
Avg. contacts per week: 39.07

Article Citations

Article citations are based on data periodically collected from the Clarivate Web of Science web site
(last update: Nov 2020)

(No citations were found up to date. Please come back later)


 

Publication Metrics

by Dimensions ©

Articles citing this article

List of the papers citing this article based on CrossRef Cited-by.

 
(1)
Bie W, Casper M, Reiter P, Vohland M (2014)
Surface resistance calibration for a hydrological model using actual evapotranspiration retrieved from remote sensing data in Nahe catchment forest area. In: Proceedings of the “EGU General Assembly 2014”. Vienna (Austria) 27 Apr - 2 May 2014. Geophysical Research Abstracts, vol. 16, EGU2014-11915.
Online | Gscholar
(2)
Blake GR (2008)
Particle density. In: “Encyclopedia of Soil Science” (Chesworth W ed). Springer, Netherlands, pp. 504-505.
Gscholar
(3)
Bodner G, Scholl P, Loiskandl W, Kaul HP (2013)
Environmental and management influences on temporal variability of near saturated soil hydraulic properties. Geoderma 204-205: 120-129.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(4)
Brady NC, Weil RR (2008)
The nature and properties of soils (14th edn). Prentice Hall, New York, USA, pp. 975.
Gscholar
(5)
Campion JM, Dye PJ, Scholes MC (2004)
Modelling maximum canopy conductance and transpiration in Eucalyptus grandis stands not subjected to soil water deficits. Southern African Forestry Journal 202 (1): 4-11.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(6)
Chesworth W (2008)
Encyclopedia of soil science. Springer, Netherlands, pp. 700-720.
Gscholar
(7)
Dovey SB, De Clercq W, Du Toit B (2011)
A comparison of soil moisture relations between standing and clearfelled plots with burnt and unburnt harvest residue treatments of a clonal eucalypt plantation on the Zululand Coastal Plain, South Africa. Water SA 37 (4): 483-494.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(8)
Du Preez CC, Van Huyssteen CW, Mnkeni PNS (2011)
Land use and soil organic matter in South Africa 2: a review on the top influence of arable crop production. South African Journal of Science 107 (5-6): Art. #358.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(9)
Du Toit B (2006)
Information requirements to fertilize plantations with greater precision in a dry country. In: Proceedings of the International Precision Forestry Symposium “Precision Forestry in Plantations, Semi-natural and Natural Forests” (Ackerman PA, Längen DW, Antonides MC eds). Stellenbosch University (South Africa) 5-10 Mar 2006, pp. 245-260.
Gscholar
(10)
Du Toit B (2008)
Effects of site management on growth, biomass partitioning and light use efficiency in a young stand of Eucalyptus grandis in South Africa. Forest Ecology and Management 255: 2324-2336.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(11)
Du Toit B (2012)
Matching site, species and silvicultural regime to optimise the productivity of commercial softwood species in southern Africa. In: “South African Forestry Handbook (5th edn)” (Bredenkamp BV, Upfold S eds). Southern African Institute of Forestry, Pretoria, South Africa, pp. 43-49.
Gscholar
(12)
Du Toit B, Norris C (2012)
Elements of silvicultural systems and regimes used in southern African plantations. In: “South African Forestry Handbook (5th edn)” (Bredenkamp BV, Upfold S eds). Southern African Institute of Forestry, Pretoria, South Africa, pp. 21-25.
Gscholar
(13)
Du Toit B, Malherbe GF, Kunneke A, Seifert T, Wessels CB (2017)
Survival and long term growth results of Eucalypts on semi-arid sites in a Mediterranean climate, South Africa. Southern Forests 79 (3): 235-249.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(14)
Famiglietti JS, Devereaux JA, Laymon CA, Tsegaye T, Houser PR, Jackson TJ, Graham ST, Rondell M, Van Oevelen PJ (1999)
Ground-based investigation of soil moisture variability within remote sensing footprints during the Southern Great Plains (1997) hydrology experiment. Water Resources Research 35: 1839-1851.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(15)
Fey M, Hughes J, Lambrechts J, Milewski A, Mills A (2010)
Soils of South Africa. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, pp. 287.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(16)
Fischer PM, Du Toit B (2019)
Use of δ13C as water stress indicator and potential silvicultural decision support tool in Pinus radiata stand management in South Africa. iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry 12: 51-60.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(17)
Fricke K (2013)
Analysis and modelling of water supply and demand under climate change, land use transformation and socio-economic development: the water resource challenge and adaptation measures for Urumqi region, Northwest China. Springer Science and Business Media, Cham, Switzerland, pp. 243.
Online | Gscholar
(18)
Gonçalves JLM, Alvares CA, Rocha JHT, Brandani CB, Hakamada RE (2017)
Eucalypt plantation management in regions with water stress. Southern Forests 79 (3): 169-183.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(19)
Hakamada R, Hubbard RM, Ferraz S, Stape JL, Lemos C (2017)
Biomass production and potential water stress increase with planting density in four highly productive clonal Eucalyptus genotypes. Southern Forests 79 (3): 251-257.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(20)
Hardie MA, Doyle RB, Cotching WE, Lisson S (2012)
Subsurface lateral flow in texture-contrast (duplex) soils and catchments with shallow bedrock. Applied and Environmental Soil Sciences 2012: 1-10.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(21)
Hendrickson BL, Durkin JW (1984)
Moisture availability, crop period and the prospects for early warning of famine in Ethiopia. International Livestock Centre for Africa Bulletin 21: 2-9.
Gscholar
(22)
Herbert MA (2012)
Site requirements of commercial Eucalyptus and Corymbia species in Southern Africa. In: “South African Forestry Handbook (5th edn)” (Bredenkamp BV, Upfold S eds). Southern African Institute of Forestry, Pretoria, South Africa, pp. 51-58.
Gscholar
(23)
Kotze H, Du Toit B (2012)
Silviculture of industrial pine plantations in Southern Africa. In: “South African Forestry Handbook (5th edn)” (Bredenkamp BV, Upfold S eds). Southern African Institute of Forestry, Pretoria, South Africa, pp. 123-139.
Gscholar
(24)
Kotze H, Kassier HW, Fletcher Y, Morley T (2012)
Forest management: growth modelling and yield tables. In: “South African Forestry Handbook (5th edn)” (Bredenkamp BV, Upfold S eds). Southern African Institute of Forestry, Pretoria, South Africa, pp. 185-190.
Gscholar
(25)
Le Roux PAL, Du Preez CC (2006)
Nature and distribution of South African plinthic soils: conditions for occurrence of soft and hard plinthic soils. South African Journal of Plant and Soil 23 (2): 120-125.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(26)
Lipsius K (2002)
Estimating available water capacity from basic soil physical properties - A comparison of common pedotransfer functions. Braunschweig Technical University, Brunswick, Germany, pp. 37.
Gscholar
(27)
Little KM, Rolando CA (2008)
Regional vegetation management standards for commercial Eucalyptus plantations in South Africa. Southern Forests 70 (2): 87-97.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(28)
Milly PCD (1994)
Climate, soil water storage, and the average annual water balance. Soil, Water and Climate 30: 2143-2156.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(29)
Park CC (2001)
The environment: principles and applications. Psychology Press, Routledge, London, UK, pp. 595-598.
Online | Gscholar
(30)
Pienaar LV, Turnbull KJ (1973)
The Chapman-Richards generalization of Von Bertalanffy’s growth model for basal area growth and yield in even-aged stands. Forest Science 19: 2-22.
Online | Gscholar
(31)
Pereira AR, Angelocci LR, Sentelhas PC (2007)
Meteorologia agricola [Agricultural meteorology]. Course booklet, ESALQ, University of Sao Paulo, Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz”, Departamento de Ciências Exatas, Piracicaba, Brazil, pp. 192. [in Portuguese]
Gscholar
(32)
Poynton RJ (1971)
A silvicultural map of Southern Africa. South African Journal of Science 67: 58-60.
Online | Gscholar
(33)
Rühlmann J, Körschens M, Graefe J (2006)
A new approach to calculate the particle density of soils considering properties of the soil organic matter and the mineral matrix. Geoderma 130: 272-283.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(34)
Saxton KE, Rawls WJ, Romberger JS, Papendrick RI (1986)
Estimating generalized soil-water characteristics from texture. Soil Science Society of America Journal 50 (4): 1031-1036.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(35)
Schulze RE (1997)
South African atlas for agrohydrology and climatology. Report TT82/96, Water Research Commission, Pretoria, South Africa, pp. 279.
Gscholar
(36)
Finkl CW (2006)
Soils of the coastal zone. In: “Encyclopedia of Soil Science” (Chesworth W eds). Springer, Netherlands, pp. 711-733.
Gscholar
(37)
Smith CW, Pallet RN, Kunz RP, Gardner RAW, Plessis M (2005)
A strategic forestry site classification for the summer rainfall region of southern Africa based on climate, geology and soils. ICFR bulletin series no. 03/2005, Institute for Commercial Forestry Research, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, pp. 33.
Gscholar
(38)
Soil Classification Working Group (1991)
Soil classification - A taxonomic system for South Africa. Department of Agricultural Development, Pretoria, South Africa, pp. 257.
Gscholar
(39)
Sumner DM, Jacobs JM (2004)
Utility of Penman-Monteith, Priestly-Taylor, reference evapotranspiration, and pan evaporation methods to estimate pasture evapotranspiration. Journal of Hydrology 308 (1-4): 81-104.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(40)
Thornthwaite CW (1944)
On evapotranspiration. In: “Report of the Committee on Transpiration and Evaporation, 1943-1944” (Wilm HG ed). Transactions of the American Geophysical Union 25: 686-693.
Gscholar
(41)
Thornthwaite CW (1948)
An approach toward a rational classification of climate. The Geographical Review 38 (1): 55-94.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(42)
Thornthwaite CW, Mather JR (1955)
The water balance. Centerton, New Jersey, Laboratory of Climatology, Publications in Climatology 8 (1): 1-104.
Gscholar
 

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. More info