Forest plantations, water availability, and regional climate change: controversies surrounding Acacia mearnsii plantations in the upper Palnis Hills, southern India |
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Authors: | Haripriya Rangan Christian A Kull Lisa Alexander |
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Institution: | (1) School of Geography and Environmental Science, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia;(2) Present address: Climate Change Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia |
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Abstract: | Plantation forests not only impact carbon and water cycles, but also affect biodiversity, livelihoods, and shape regional
economies. Each of these impacts differs across varying scales of analysis. This paper illustrates how forest, climate change
and hydrology debates play out in the context of the forest plantations of Australian black wattle (Acacia mearnsii) in the upper Palni hills of southern India. We outline the contradictory perspectives of different local groups regarding
the impact of plantations on catchment hydrology and water availability, and examine these in relation to changes in the regional
economy and rainfall patterns. Our analysis indicates that changes in these two factors have played a more significant role
than existing wattle plantations in affecting local and regional water availability. We suggest that ongoing debates regarding
forest plantation–hydrology–climate change relationships need to broaden their scope to include changes in regional rainfall
patterns and shifts in regional economic activity. This approach is likely to provide a more realistic assessment of plantation
forests in a dynamic regional context, and offer more resilient strategies for regional landscape and catchment management
under conditions of high variability in rainfall patterns. |
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