Scholarlink

<p>Afforestation, while offering numerous ecological and economic benefits, faces challenges from climate change effects, including wildfires and droughts in the Mediterranean Region, which can significantly reduce tree seedling survival and hinder their success. Rainwater harvesting systems (RWH) are gaining attention in forestry as a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to conventional methods. They improve afforestation success, contribute to climate change mitigation, and provide water for various uses, particularly in arid areas. These systems are considerably advantageous in afforestation when conventional irrigation is infeasible due to the great distance and cost of the water source. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of Negarim and crescent RWH systems and compare them with terraces and pit planting, two common afforestation techniques, on soil moisture content, early survival and growth of young Turkish oak (<i>Quercus cerris</i> L.) and stone pine (<i>Pinus pinea</i> L.) seedlings planted on semi-arid sites in Izmir, western Turkiye. One year after treatments, RWH treatments, particularly closed Negarim microcatchments, showed outstanding performance in retaining soil moisture content throughout the growing season compared to conventional afforestation techniques, with a significantly greater mean soil moisture content (&gt; 50%). The survival and growth of tree seedlings planted with RHW structures significantly outperformed conventional techniques. Negarim microcatchments proved better at conserving soil moisture content than crescent bunds. However, the similar survival and growth of seedlings between the two RHW treatments and the higher cost-effectiveness of Negarim microcatchments collectively favor crescent bunds on these semi-arid sites. Terraces were an intermediate treatment between the RWH and conventional treatment groups for the variables assessed. Future research should extend monitoring to assess sustained benefits. Testing these RWH systems in other climatic zones (e.g., arid, hyper-arid, or semi-humid) would broaden their applicability.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Rainwater harvesting enhances soil moisture content and afforestation success with stone pine and Turkish oak in semi-arid Western Turkiye

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年7月30日

查看全文
  • Muhammed Ali Aydın,
  • Derya Eşen,
  • Yasin Karaşin,
  • Bülent Toprak

摘要

Afforestation, while offering numerous ecological and economic benefits, faces challenges from climate change effects, including wildfires and droughts in the Mediterranean Region, which can significantly reduce tree seedling survival and hinder their success. Rainwater harvesting systems (RWH) are gaining attention in forestry as a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to conventional methods. They improve afforestation success, contribute to climate change mitigation, and provide water for various uses, particularly in arid areas. These systems are considerably advantageous in afforestation when conventional irrigation is infeasible due to the great distance and cost of the water source. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of Negarim and crescent RWH systems and compare them with terraces and pit planting, two common afforestation techniques, on soil moisture content, early survival and growth of young Turkish oak (Quercus cerris L.) and stone pine (Pinus pinea L.) seedlings planted on semi-arid sites in Izmir, western Turkiye. One year after treatments, RWH treatments, particularly closed Negarim microcatchments, showed outstanding performance in retaining soil moisture content throughout the growing season compared to conventional afforestation techniques, with a significantly greater mean soil moisture content (> 50%). The survival and growth of tree seedlings planted with RHW structures significantly outperformed conventional techniques. Negarim microcatchments proved better at conserving soil moisture content than crescent bunds. However, the similar survival and growth of seedlings between the two RHW treatments and the higher cost-effectiveness of Negarim microcatchments collectively favor crescent bunds on these semi-arid sites. Terraces were an intermediate treatment between the RWH and conventional treatment groups for the variables assessed. Future research should extend monitoring to assess sustained benefits. Testing these RWH systems in other climatic zones (e.g., arid, hyper-arid, or semi-humid) would broaden their applicability.