EXPECTED IMPACTS              

    Direct outcomes of the project include the development and validation of novel technologies for assessment of water use and water flow in heterogeneous stands, together with data-sets for systems representative of water deficient regions.
    The analysis of agroforestry systems, olive stands and irrigated orchards, all of which are important land-use patterns in the water scarce areas of Europe will provide tools to balance the contrasting requirements of economic profit and ecological interest in sustainable land use.
    Results within the project have different kinds and levels of impacts on water management and related issues:

  1. recommendations on irrigation schedulling including water saving strategies,
  2. definition of shortcomings and identification of adequate approaches to simulate water fluxes without loosing critical hydrological information identified at the tree level,
  3. tools for a general impact assessment (instruments, hard- and software, as well as methodological approaches for scientists and technicians)
  4. provision of tools to identify early stress reaction of trees
  5. commercialisation of the developed tools
  6. direct contribution to the implementation of the Water Framework Directive by providing tools for the assessment of the characteristics of a water catchment basin.