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Forestry · Health & risk · Climate

Summer growth check

Dec–Mar check

The seasonal stall in stem growth through the rain-free summer, when high temperatures and dry air close stomata and the stand lives off soil moisture banked over winter.

Worked example · Relative stem growth · by month
summer check Stem growth rate Jul Nov Feb Jun
Relative stem growth · by month
The benchmark

South-west WA’s hot, dry Mediterranean summers stall blue gum growth for months; deep, non-saline soils that store winter rain are what carry the crop through.

FWPA ↗
What it signals

The depth of the summer check separates a good site from a marginal one: stands on deep soils barely pause, while shallow or saline sites can lose most of the season. Tracking it flags drought-exposed compartments before a dry year turns a check into mortality.

Data required to calculate
Monthly stem incrementmmStored soil moisturemm

Silo pulls each of these from the sources the operation already uses, and keeps the figure current automatically.

How to improve it
01

Establish only on deep, non-saline soils with real moisture storage.

02

Manage stocking so summer water demand matches site supply.

03

Map drought-prone compartments and weight them out of high-risk rotations.

Questions & answers

What is summer growth check?

The seasonal stall in stem growth through the rain-free summer, when high temperatures and dry air close stomata and the stand lives off soil moisture banked over winter.

What data do you need to calculate summer growth check?

You need: Monthly stem increment (mm), Stored soil moisture (mm). Silo pulls each of these from the sources the operation already uses and keeps the figure current automatically.

What is a good summer growth check benchmark?

South-west WA’s hot, dry Mediterranean summers stall blue gum growth for months; deep, non-saline soils that store winter rain are what carry the crop through.

How do you improve summer growth check?

Establish only on deep, non-saline soils with real moisture storage. Manage stocking so summer water demand matches site supply. Map drought-prone compartments and weight them out of high-risk rotations.

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