Dr. Shiferaw said, "We found that single trees of the evergreen prosopis consume between 1-36 liters of water per day, depending on stem diameter and site conditions. Prosopis trees not only use water throughout the year, but even consume more water during the dry season, when almost all native plants have shed their leaves. The report clearly supports findings from work undertaken in South Africa on water use by invasive tree species. In addition, invasive trees in drier parts of the country have substantially reduced water in groundwater aquifers on which local farmers and towns are totally reliant. Journal information: Scientific Reports Hailu Shiferaw et al, Water use of Prosopis juliflora and its impacts on catchment water budget and rural livelihoods in Afar Region, Ethiopia,(2021).

Source: Ethiopian News January 29, 2021 12:00 UTC