Comparison of an Oak Forest and of a Pasture Groundwater Uptake and Salt Dynamics on the Hungarian Great Plain
Year: 2014
Type: article
Abstract: The forest area in Hungary has increased during the last century from 1.1 to 2.0 million ha. The European Union supports further afforestation so roughly 15 -18 000 hectares are being planted each year, mostly on the Hungarian Great Plain. Water uptake of forests from groundwater can be significant in shallow groundwater areas of the Hungarian Great Plain especially in drought periods. Therefore forests can induce water table depression and subsurface salt accumulation above saline water table in areas with a negative water balance. The impact of forests is examined by a systematic study on the Hungarian Great Plain., An oak forest and a pasture groundwater uptake and salt accumulation effect were compared at the stand scale. Under the forest the water table levels were roughly 0.5 m lower than under the pasture, and the groundwater uptake of the oak plot was more than twice as great. Larger forest groundwater use is not followed by a higher salt uptake. Therefore slight salt accumulation was measured both in the soil and also in the groundwater. Higher groundwater uptake may cause more significant salt accumulation under pronounced drought conditions of a warmer climate.
Authors: Zoltán Gribovszki, Péter Kalicz, Kitti Balog, András Szabó, Tibor Tóth
Institution: University of Sopron
Language: English
Topic: Soil and Unsaturated Flow
Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W2045489641