Two decades ago the ‘Eucalyptus’ debate emerged in India and other dry environments where drought tolerant, fast growing trees had been planted in a ‘regreening’ effort, but were found to use water. The fact that trees use water rather than generate it seems to still be a little surprising to popular and government audiences that are keen to have win-win solutions through both the local products and services that trees provide and through the presumed ‘watershed services’ that are generated for others. The shortfalls of the real effects of Eucalyptus were generally blamed on the fact that the tree is an ‘exotic’ in the places where it is planted – not on the fact that all trees tend to use more water than shorter vegetation, the more so the faster they grow. Recent research in Kenya suggests that, apart from the growth rate, the phenology of the tree (evergreen or deciduous) has additional effects.
Publication year
2006
Authors
Language
English
Keywords
phenology, trees
