Best Practice Knowledge Base
1.11 Irrigation
Irrigation plays a vital role in ensuring the successful establishment and growth of young trees in challenging environments. In areas with insufficient natural rainfall or degraded soils, supplemental watering provides essential moisture to support seed germination, root development, and early plant growth. Key factors to consider when designing an irrigation system include the water source, soil type, climate, and plant needs, ensuring efficient and sustainable implementation. Carefully managed irrigation systems may optimize water use, minimize waste, and reduce stress on fragile ecosystems.
I. Guidelines
| Nº | Title | Author | Year | Focus Region | Language | Summary |
| 1 | Irrigation guide | USDA | 1997 | US | English | Comprehensive and detailed guide for irrigation systems |
| 2 | Arid zone forestry: A guide for field technicians - Chapter VII: Irrigated forest plantations | FAO | 1989 | World | English | General guidelines for implementing irrigation systems in forest soils |
| 3 | The UK forestry standard - 9: Forests and water | Forestry Commission | 2023 | UK | English | Guidelines for water management in forests |
| 4 | A guide to forest water management | FAO | 2021 | World | English | Extensive, detailed guide on water management in forests, for different forest types |
| 5 | Irrigation and fertilization type, rate, and frequency of application | Starkey, USDA | 2002 | US | English | General indications for irrigation systems for Pinus palustris, which may be extrapolated to other species |
| 6 | Irrigation Water Management: Irrigation Methods | FAO | 1990 | World | English | Guide for the design of an irrigation system |
II. Books or book chapters
| Nº | Title | Author | Chapter | Chapter author | Year | Focus region | Language | Summary |
| 1 | Afforestation, Reforestation and Forest Restoration in Arid and Semi-arid Tropics | Siyag | Soil and Water Conservation Works | - | 2014 | World | English | General indications and examples for water management and conservation in forests |
III. Scientific articles
| Nº | Title | Author | Year | Focus region | Language | Type | Summary |
| 1 | Irrigation management in poplar (Populus spp.) plantations: A review | Xi et al. | 2021 | China | English | Narrative review | State of the art of irrigation management in poplar plantations |
| 2 | Water requirement and growth indicators of forest tree species seedlings produced with automated irrigation management | Marques Bueno et al. | 2020 | Brazil | English | Experiment | Effects of irrigation on height, diameter, and water-use efficiency of three tree species |
| 3 | Leaf litter and irrigation can increase seed germination and early seedling survival of the recalcitrant-seeded tree Beilschmiedia miersii | Kremer et al. | 2018 | Chile | English | Experiment | Effects of irrigation and leaf litter on the germination and survival of a recalcitrant-seeded species |
| 4 | Interactive effects of shade and irrigation on the performance of seedlings of three Mediterranean Quercus species. | Castro-Díez et al. | 2006 | Spain | English | Experiment | Effects of irradiance and watering regime early performance of different mediterranean oak species |
| 5 | Oak seedling survival and growth along resource gradients in Mediterranean forests: implications for regeneration in current and future environmental scenarios | Gómez-Aparicio et al. | 2008 | Spain | English | Experiment | Effects of light, soil properties and irrigation on survival and growth of different mediterranean oak species |
| 6 | Seedbed not rescue effect buffer the role of extreme precipitation on temperate forest regeneration | Clark and D'Amato | 2022 | US | English | Experiment | Effects of manipulated precipitation on temperate tree seedling survival |