EFFECT OF TREE DENSITY ON SOIL WATER USE EFFICIENCY IN AGROFORESTRY SYSTEM

Md. Golam  Rakkibu

doi:10.53808/KUS.1999.1.1.97-101-Ls

Authors

Md. Golam Rakkibu Forestry and Wood Technology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna-9208, Bangladesh

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53808/KUS.1999.1.1.97-101-Ls

Keywords:

Agroforestry; Soil water; Tree density; Transpiration

Abstract

Sapflow of individual trees of red alder (Alnus rubra) was measured at two stem densities over three blocks in a silvopastoral agroforestry experiment at Bangor, UK in 1998 where trees were planted at densities of 400 stems/ha (agroforestry) and 2500 stems/ha (forestry control). Sapflow rate was measured using the Thermal Dissipation Probe (TDP) in two trees in each treatment. Tree sapflow were related to the stand density (stems/ha). Planting density was found to modify individual tree sapflow. During the experiment, mean sapflow per tree was found to be lower at high tree densities being 0.29 dm-2 h-1 compared to 0.44 dm -2 h-1 at low densities and the difference was highly significant (p = 0.001). The higher sapflow in agroforestry was related to a high rate of crown transpiration caused by greater canopy exposure.

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