Tree species, climate, and management impact water usage in forests and orchards significantly.
Authors
Sunny Sharma, Department of Horticulture, School of Agriculture, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India
Vishal Singh Rana, Department of Fruit Science, Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India
Umesh Sharma, Dev Bhoomi Uttarakhand University, Naugaon, Uttarakhand, India
Saurabh Mishra, Yangtze Institute for Conservation and Development, Hohai University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P.R. China
Rupesh Kumar, Professor, Jindal Global Business School (JGBS), O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana, India
Summary
The water footprint serves as a critical metric for assessing the water required for tree growth. This indicator displays divergent trends in forests and orchards due to differences in species composition, cultivation practices, and the ecosystems where these trees are planted. This chapter highlights an in-depth examination of the water footprint associated with the trees in natural forests and orchards, considering the influence of tree species, climatic conditions, and management approaches on water usage. Collectively, recent findings concerning the use of freshwater across both natural and engineered landscapes. Further, the consequences of tree planting on both ecological and water systems are analyzed. Critical aspects of comparative studies on water footprints, including the influence of tree species selection, soil characteristics, and temperature on available water, are discussed. Additionally, the efficacy of water conservation techniques in reducing water consumption is explored. Noticeably, it also addresses the broader implications for water resource management, particularly in the context of climate change, as well as the interplay between forestry, agriculture, and policy development. Understanding water footprints will enable stakeholders to make informed decisions that balance forestry and agricultural productivity with ecologically sustainable practices.
Published in: Water Footprints: Achieving Sustainable Development Goals
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