THE rush to plant forests to soak up carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming, could cause as many problems as it solves, with new research showing they can reduce local water supplies by up to 50per cent.

An international study on the use of forest plantations as carbon sinks has found that while intensive plantations can help mitigate the effects of global warming, they can also sap streamflows and cause salinity.

The study, co-authored by CSIRO Land and Water scientist Damian Barrett and published in Science, found that forest plantations reduced streamflows by an average 38per cent. In 13per cent of cases, streamflows dried up completely for at least a year.

A vision paper developed by Australia's plantation forest industry and the federal Government aims to treble the land under plantation to 3million hectares by 2020. But Dr Barrett said there was debate about whether that was achievable.
 

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