| Title | Converting oak woodland or savanna to vineyards may stress groundwater supply in summer |
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| Abstract | Water resources are important to land-use planning, especially in regions where converting native oak woodlands or savannas to wine grape vineyards may affect the amount of water available for restoring salmon runs. Research has shown that woodland conversion to grasslands (for possible rangeland grazing) leads to greater and more sustained stream flow and groundwater recharge; however, little information is available about woodland conversion to vineyards. To inform resource managers and planners, we developed a water balance model for soil and applied it to vineyards, native oak woodlands and annual grasslands to evaluate their relative use of groundwater. We applied the model to Sonoma County, using climate data from 1999 to 2011, and determined that oak tree canopy coverage of 40% to 60% results in annual groundwater extraction equivalent to that of an established irrigated vineyard. However, vineyard groundwater use far exceeded that of oak woodlands in late summer to early fall, which could further stress already affected groundwater resources. We also evaluated the prediction sensitivity of the model to key parameters associated with rain levels, soil water-holding capacity and irrigation management. |
| Authors |
Grismer, Mark E.
Professor Agricultural Drainage Engineer-AES
Multiphase transport in porous media; soil salinity and drainage; water quality; constructed wetlands; and environmental ethics.
Asato, Caitlin : C. Asato is Undergraduate Student, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, UC Davis.
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| Publication Date | Oct 1, 2012 |
| Date Added | Oct 30, 2012 |
| Copyright | © The Regents of the University of California |
| Copyright Year | 2012 |
| Description | A water balance model found similar annual groundwater extraction by oak woodland and vineyards in Sonoma County but critical seasonal differences. |
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