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Forestry · Environment · Water

Water-use efficiency

2.4 m³/ML

Cubic metres of wood grown per megalitre of rainfall used by the stand. In a water-limited Mediterranean catchment it is the truest measure of biological productivity, cutting through wet-year and dry-year noise.

Worked example · m³ wood per ML rainfall · 4 yrs
Top sites ~3.0 1.8 2.0 2.2 2.4 2023 2024 2025 2026
m³ wood per ML rainfall · 4 yrs
The benchmark

Blue gum growth rises sharply with rainfall and falls with evaporation; efficient sites convert each megalitre of water into more wood, and catchment water use is a live siting issue in WA.

DPIRD WA ↗
What it signals

Because plantations draw meaningfully on the water balance, efficiency matters both commercially and for the catchment. A rising figure means the site is turning scarce water into more wood; a falling one flags stress, salinity or over-stocking against the water supply.

Data required to calculate
Net wood volume grownm³/haRainfall over periodmm

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

How to improve it
01

Establish on deep soils that store and release winter rainfall.

02

Match stocking to site water supply to avoid moisture stress.

03

Site plantings with catchment water yield in mind, not just growth.

Questions & answers

What is water-use efficiency?

Cubic metres of wood grown per megalitre of rainfall used by the stand. In a water-limited Mediterranean catchment it is the truest measure of biological productivity, cutting through wet-year and dry-year noise.

What data do you need to calculate water-use efficiency?

You need: Net wood volume grown (m³/ha), Rainfall over period (mm). Silo pulls each of these from the sources the operation already uses and keeps the figure current automatically.

What is a good water-use efficiency benchmark?

Blue gum growth rises sharply with rainfall and falls with evaporation; efficient sites convert each megalitre of water into more wood, and catchment water use is a live siting issue in WA.

How do you improve water-use efficiency?

Establish on deep soils that store and release winter rainfall. Match stocking to site water supply to avoid moisture stress. Site plantings with catchment water yield in mind, not just growth.

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