Forest Research: Open Access
Open Access

Resources Efficiency and Conservation of Forests During Climate Change

Giulia Furlanetto^{* *}Correspondence: Giulia Furlanetto, Department of Environmental and Earth Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy, Email:

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Description

Many individuals worldwide are lacking in sufficient access to clean water to meet their basic requirements, and many significant economic sectors like agriculture and energy generation also require water. Water stress will probably worsen as a result of climate change. The communities of people, plants, and animals that depend on ecosystems will require more water to survive as temperatures rise. Because they control water quantity, quality, and timing and provide protective activities against (for example) soil and coastal erosion, flooding, and avalanches, forests and trees are essential for maintaining water security, and over 50% of the world's population receives water through forested watersheds, which produce 75% of our freshwater.

The enhancement of the worldwide expert system on the protective roles of forests benefiting soil and water is the purpose of such a companion to Forest-Water Management. It examines new methodology and strategies, on how to manage forests for their water ecosystem services, and provides insights into the business and economic considerations for managing forests for water ecosystem services. With several co-benefits, intact native forests and well-managed planted forests can be a comparatively inexpensive method of water management. While maintaining global water resilience is a major concern, this research makes the case that water-centered forests can offer nature-based solutions.

A number of methods, such as portable photosynthetic systems, the Eddy Covariance (EC) technique, the study of stable isotopes of δ13C, and remote sensing methods, can be used to assess how efficiently trees use water. The EC approach has been widely used to monitor the carbon, water, and energy exchange between the atmosphere and ecosystems since it is a non-destructive technology with a high temporal resolution. The estimation of δ13C in different plant tissues using the stable isotope method has proven to be a highly effective substitute for measuring Instantaneous Water Usage Efficiency (IWUE). Foliage δ13C, which has a high association with stomatal regulation of photosynthesis, can be used to assess the response of Instantaneous water-use efficiency to changing environmental conditions. Furthermore, tree ring stable isotope measures can be used to constrain IWUE in vegetation dynamic models. WUEins have been estimated on a wider scale using remote sensing-based Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) and Evapotranspiration products with high spatial-temporal resolution (e.g., Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer). Recognizing the effects of climate change and management on related carbon-water processes that regulate feedbacks to climate and hydrology requires an understanding of the forest ecosystem scale in particular. Even, there is more information accessible globally on water loss and CO2 absorption by forests. Hence, in order to quantify and contrast the water-use efficiency across various forest ecosystems, we concentrated on the connection between forest GPP and ET as represented by WUEins for this research.

Conclusion

Poplar, eucalyptus, and pine are frequently used throughout for the production of lumber, electricity, and ecological restoration. Poplar plantations that produce large quantities have significant carbon sink capabilities but also need a lot of soil water. The vast range of WUEins for poplars (0.9-3.6 g C kg⁻¹ H₂O) was probably brought about by differences in species, soil types, and climatic conditions. Eucalyptus plantations are growing quickly, which raises issues about how it might affect the water supply. Compared to the majority of plantation tree species, eucalyptus plantations had significantly lower WUEins. Water availability typically restricts the growth and capabilities of eucalyptus plantations, thus management of these plantations would benefit from a better understanding of water consumption and water-use efficiency. Pine plantations are made up of several different tree species, including Pinus ponderosa, Pinus sylvestris, and Pinus strobus, that have significant commercial interests and are spread out over a wide area. While WUEins in pine plantations ranged from 3.2-4.0 gC kg⁻¹ H₂O, these values differed by species. The efficiency of water use in pine plantations can also be impacted by the climate, soil nutrients, and age of the forest.