Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/7390
Title: | Biomass production and water use efficiency of grassland in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
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Contributor(s): | Palmer, AR (author); Short, A (author); Yunusa, Isa (author) |
Publication Date: | 2010 |
DOI: | 10.2989/10220119.2010.528450 |
Handle Link: | https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/7390 |
Abstract: | Using the results from a long-term grazing trial in the Dry Highland Sourveld of the KwaZulu-Natal province, we prepared a water use efficiency value (the ratio of the increment in annual biomass to total annual evapotranspiration) for this rangeland type. Using seasonal biomass measurements recorded between March 2000 and March 2007, we developed a model for predicting the increment in annual biomass using a regression relationship between fPAR (fraction of photosynthetically active radiation intercepted by the vegetation canopy) and measured standing biomass. This regression model was used to estimate the growth rates from fPAR for the period 2001-2006. During the period 2004-2007, when complete meteorological records were available, we calculated reference or potential evapotranspiration (ETₒ) using the Penman-Monteith equation. To approximate actual evapotranspiration (ET), we used the MODIS leaf area index to approximate canopy conductance component (G) of the Penman-Monteith equation. Using the adjusted fPAR curves as a surrogate for plant growth, and ET, we calculated a water use efficiency value for these grasslands of 7.5 ± 0.48 kg DM mm⁻¹ ha⁻¹ y⁻¹. This value relates well to other published water use efficiencies for natural rangeland. |
Publication Type: | Journal Article |
Source of Publication: | African Journal of Range & Forage Science, 27(3), p. 163-169 |
Publisher: | Taylor & Francis |
Place of Publication: | United Kingdom |
ISSN: | 1727-9380 1022-0119 |
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: | 050104 Landscape Ecology 050206 Environmental Monitoring 050209 Natural Resource Management |
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: | 960505 Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Forest and Woodlands Environments 960609 Sustainability Indicators 960604 Environmental Management Systems |
Peer Reviewed: | Yes |
HERDC Category Description: | C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal |
Appears in Collections: | Journal Article |
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