This week, the team from the University of Lleida has visited the Can Ponç farm, in Castellgalí (Barcelona) to equip it with a set of soil humidity and temperature sensors that will allow analyzing the role of applied treatments on water dynamics. on the ground (actions for the demonstrative implementation of ecohydrological-based forestry models for the management of Pinus halepensis forests).
Forestry treatments based on ecohydrology have been applied to these plots, aimed at reducing evapotranspiration from the trees.
The objective is twofold:
- On the one hand, water stress will be reduced, by intensely reducing the density of the forest.
- On the other hand, it is intended to increase the infiltration of water into deep layers of the soil, which will end up affecting the water that reaches the watercourses or aquifers (blue water).
To assess this objective, soil moisture sensors have been installed at three depths (10, 30 and 50 cm) and at various points in the stand, both intervened and control areas.
These sensors measure the relative humidity of the soil every 15 minutes through its dielectric constant (the ability to accumulate electrical charge) and store the data in data-loggers that send the information to a server. The sensors will measure changes in soil moisture throughout the life of the Life AdaptAleppo project, allowing researchers to test the effectiveness of the applied treatments.
Images taken during the placement of sensors on the CanPonç plot in Castellgalí (Barcelona)
