Impact of Rainwater Harvesting on Mastic (Pistacia lentiscus L. var. chia) Plantation in the Semi-Arid Region of Türkiye
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https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1084-0330
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The Mediterranean region faces increasing aridity due to climate change, threatening the establishment and growth of drought-sensitive tree species. The ecologically and economically important mastic tree generally exhibits drought resilience but remains vulnerable to heightened water stress due to climate change. This study evaluated the effectiveness of crescent bunds, a rainwater harvesting (RWH) system, in enhancing the growth and survival of young mastic (Pistacia lentiscus L. var. chia) tree seedlings in a previously established (three-year-old) plantation in the semi-arid Urla-Çeşme Peninsula, Izmir, western Türkiye. Two treatments were compared: traditional pit planting (the control) and crescent bunds. Two-meter-diameter crescent bunds were formed around three-year-old seedlings to capture runoff. The control treatment included the seedlings pit-planted three years ago. No significant differences were observed between the RWH and the control treatments one-year post-treatment. However, two years after treatment, the seedlings with crescent bunds exhibited significantly greater increases in mean height (15%), root-collar diameter (19%), and crown diameter (35%) than the controls. The sturdiness index remained similar between treatments, indicating balanced growth. Relative growth metrics revealed that crescent bunds supported at least a threefold increase in height and crown diameter growth over the control. These findings highlighted the potential of crescent bunds to improve soil moisture availability and enhance long- term seedling performance in water-limited environments. The study underscored the importance of adaptive and sustainable water management techniques, such as RWH systems, for sustaining mastic tree plantations under climate change-induced aridity, offering scalable solutions for Mediterranean afforestation.
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