Predicting the water-use of Eucalyptus nitens plantations in ...

use functions based on growth parameters for use in the FEM requires further collection of
site and species specific water-use and growth data, evaluation of existing growth and wateruse
models, and use of previously published data. Forestry Tasmania chose to focus on
developing a function for Eucalyptus nitens plantations in Tasmania – this being a widely
planted species for which limited water-use information was available, and an ideal candidate
for a pilot study given the uniform plantation stand structure.
This report describes E. nitens water-use experiments conducted at two locations in
Tasmania; the Florentine Valley, where water-use was measured in 5 plantations over a 3
year period, and at Forestier, a drier site on the Tasman Peninsula, where water-use was
measured in 1 plantation over a 1 year period.
The experimental methods were described in Roberts and Barton-Johnson (2009). Much of
the inspiration for the experimental methods came from Roberts (2001), Roberts et al. (2001),
Benyon and Doody (2004), and Putuhena and Cordery (1996).
The results of the Florentine water-use study were published in Roberts (2011A). A
summary of the most important results from the Florentine study is provided in Roberts
(2011A). A description of the Forestier plantation and the results of the Forestier study are
provided in this report as they are not published elsewhere. Evaluation of existing models
was described by Roberts (2011). Updated comparisons of two models, ProMod and
CABALA, are presented in this report.
The process of developing the E. nitens water-use function for the FEM is described in this
report. Examples are provided of the outputs from the FEM when the water-use function
derived from the experiments is included.
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