Assessing the Impact of Eucalyptus Plantation on Groundwater Availability in Pakistan

International Journal of Economic and Environment Geology

Sana Nazli, Saima Siddiqui, Naveed ur Rehman¹ 

[1] Department of Geography, Punjab University Law College, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan;

关键词: eucalyptus;    gps;    groundwater;    water depletion;    lahore;   

DOI  :  https://doi.org/10.46660/ijeeg.Vol11.Iss1.2020.413

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

EucalyptustreewasfirstplantedinPakistaninthe1980sundertheprojectofPakistanForestInstitute sponsored by United States Agency for International Development. It is not native to Pakistan's environment, so it has becomeathreattotheecosystem.AmatureEucalyptustreeshapeislikeashrubortalltree.Itiscenteredbythe numberofcontroversieslikeallelopathy,lossofsoilfertility,thesubstitutionofconventionalforestsandcausing varioushydro-ecologicalimbalancesofanecosystem.Eucalyptustreeconsumesthreetimesmorewaterinaridand semi-arid environments, because of vapor pressure deficit. About 80% of Pakistan's area is present in the semi-arid and aridclimate.Pakistanisfacingaseriouswatershortageandrapidgroundwaterleveldepletioninmanypartsofthe country. It is believed that species of Eucalyptus tree are extracting more groundwater than water recharge. Therefore, thepresentstudyisconductedtoidentifytheadverseimpactsofEucalyptusplantationonthegroundwaterlevelof Lahore. Six parks in Lahore were selected as study sites, i.e., Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, Bagh-e-Jinnah, Jillani Park, Nawaz SharifPark,JalloPark,andJoharTownPark.Atotalof3,484Eucalyptustreeswere identifiedwithdifferentage groups.Thesetreesbelongtothespeciesof Eucalyptus camaldulensis, EucalyptuscitriodoraandEucalyptus sideroxylone.Thestudyrevealsthatsince1990,thegroundwaterlevelhassignificantlyreducedinstudysites.Itis recommendedthatEucalyptustreesmaybereplacedwithotherindigenousspeciesso thattherateofgroundwater depletion can be slowed down

【 授权许可】

Unknown