Informations et ressources scientifiques
sur le développement des zones arides et semi-arides

Open government data of Swedish aid

Titre : Trees, carbon and groundwater : Trade-off or synergy in local adaptation to climate change in the semi-arid Tropics ?

Pays : Burkina Faso

Date : 2014-01-01 // 2015-12-31

Présentation
The livelihoods of one-third of the world´s population are constrained by water availability. Despite multiple values, tree planting in water limited regions has long been prevented by the prevailing hydrological paradigm that trees reduce water availability. This judgment contrasts with the popular understanding of forests as beneficial for water availability. We propose a new theory that reconciles these perspectives and hypothesizes that in landscapes with intermediate tree cover the increases in infiltration is larger than increases in transpiration by the trees, leading to enhanced groundwater recharge. At low tree densities water yields increases with additional trees, but ultimately this relationship reaches a maximum and then declines due to excessive transpiration. This project builds on an earlier project from the research team and hence aims to determine required conditions for which an increased tree cover can give both higher carbon sequestration and improved adaptive capacity to climate change, particularly in terms of improved groundwater recharge. We will use a combination of water balance measurements and isotopic tracers to infer groundwater recharge processes, which will be related to tree cover characteristics through remote sensing and spatial analysis. The results from the project will be integrated with an ongoing livelihoods project in order to understand drivers of tree cover change and to facilitate local implementation of the research findings.

Agence : The Swedish Research Council
Implementing organisation : University, College or Other Teaching Institution, Research Institute or Think–Tank

Total committed amount : USD 426,826

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