So a thick leaf cover on a plantation indicates that it will use more water. This work was undertaken in north eastern Victoria in the Cropper Creek catchment. This study indicated that streamflow in the catchment was dominated by storm events and that an increased water yield occurred in the 18 year old pine plantation compared to the eucalypt forest. This project was initiated in 1975 and has provided very rare, long term data to investigate changes in land use on catchment performance. This will provide key information on understanding the impact of runoff on stream hydrology and will confirm that Australia's forest management practices are among the best in the world.
Water is the elixir of life - it's too important to ignore.
Plantations and woodlots do affect local hydrology, but we need to examine closely whether this is a positive or negative effect. And there will always be more questions to answer. We just have to make sure we have the right tools, and the capacity, to investigate these complex questions.