Link Between Trees And Rainfall

[MattFS218]

My girlfriend who is a farmer is Isaan seems to be under the impression rain comes from trees. It came up the other day, and I said that I don't think this is true. She of course claimed that I'm a city boy, and didn't know what I was talking about. Is there any bit of truth to this myth.

I do however believe, that rainfall creates trees, but not that trees create rain.

I tried searching on google, but didn't find anything. She claims this is common stuff taught at school in Thailand....I wonder what else is taught..

Does anyone know if such a connection exists

--matt

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Does she drink a lot ?

[Buzby]

I dont think ALL rain comes from trees but the process is called 'Transpiration'

[Khonwan]

Hi Matt

Your girlfriend is quite correct in that forests are a major contributor to rain due to the humidity. The oceans and other waterways are also major contributors.

Rgds

Khonwan

[sibeymai]

Furthermore, trees encourage rainfall in their area but I'm not sure of the mechanism. Perhaps it is from the transpiration effect. It is known that if trees are removed from an area rainfaill in the area usually declines.

A case study is the south-western area of Sydney where a large dam was built in the 60s (I think). Lately though the capacity has been very low because it has not been raining in the catchment area as much as it used to. Why ? Because the south-west has largely been turned over to development during the last 50 years...lots of houses, roads etc. Not many trees.

I'd say your girlfriend is right.

[MattFS218]

Interesting...so I had this conversation in the context of looking at rubber trees. She said, she worried because there were so many new rubber trees and it would cause more rains/flooding. Thanks all for the replies.

[meandwi]

It is called "evapotranspiration". Here in South Florida we are in the rainy season also, It rains here everyday! And Hard! I can't wait to get to To Krabi next week to dry out

If you're bored enough check out this pdf link about the source of Thailands rain.

http://www.tdri.or.th/library/quarterly/text/forests.htm

http://www.cosis.net/abstracts/EMS04/00042/EMS04-J-00042.pdf

Edited July 6, 2008 by meandwi

[Beardog]

Tall trees do attract rainfall. It is natures way of knowing where the rain is needed. In places that have been logged out in Oregon & other mountains there has been little to no rain reported since the raping of the forests. thats why the tree huggers & anyone sane wants to keep the few remaining rainforest's alive. Costa Rica used to have a beautiful rain forest there, but they started stripping out the trees & the rain amount plummeted. I was there about 13 years ago & a guide explained the plight of the rain forest there. Same everywhere when it comes to rain fall. Probably why the desert does not bear tall trees.

[chang35baht]

What goes up must come down.

[SAP]

My girlfriend who is a farmer is Isaan seems to be under the impression rain comes from trees. It came up the other day, and I said that I don't think this is true. She of course claimed that I'm a city boy, and didn't know what I was talking about. Is there any bit of truth to this myth.

I do however believe, that rainfall creates trees, but not that trees create rain.

I tried searching on google, but didn't find anything. She claims this is common stuff taught at school in Thailand....I wonder what else is taught..

Does anyone know if such a connection exists

--matt

Just by planting tree's will not increase rainfall, it will help suck up some carbon dioxide. The way rain forests create constant rain is firstly being in a high rainfall region. The tree's and undergrowth grow vigourusly making a canopy that stops direct sunlight from penetrating the ground, over the years the undergrowth, soils and huge amounts of broken down organic matter act as a massive sponge soaking up the rains (instead of running off and out to sea). This massive sponge then releases the water back into the atmosphere that will return again as rain.

NOW I do not think rubber plantations are going to increase rain at all, as the practice is to burn and spray between the tree's hence no organic matter etc, its something I always wanted to question but never knew who to ask......Why not plant some kind of native perennial shrubs, or something that just grows knee high and can survive with minimum light. Because perhaps if you were able to get something like this established, hopefully you would reduce the need to weeding between the tree's. Maybe need a little more fert to begin with, but once established it would not require fertilization. It would help retain moisture in the ground as well as increasing the organic matter.

SAP

[Gary A]

If you are critical of the claim, I'd advise you to keep it to yourself. If not for his Majesty the King, the Thais would have cut down every tree in Thailand. Due to the King's advice, the Thai people have planted millions of trees. The King warned the people that Thailand could become a desert without trees and of the importance of trees to the balance of nature.

[Cuban]

I dont think ALL rain comes from trees but the process is called 'Transpiration'

I would guess that at some point during her education see has seen this image: ... and it has stuck in her mind as the only cause.

Link - if inserted image is broken.

[SAP]

If you are critical of the claim, I'd advise you to keep it to yourself. If not for his Majesty the King, the Thais would have cut down every tree in Thailand. Due to the King's advice, the Thai people have planted millions of trees. The King warned the people that Thailand could become a desert without trees and of the importance of trees to the balance of nature.

I am definitely not critical, and try and plant as many tree's as I can. For a number of reasons.

What I want to know, is possible it possible to try and recreate the rain forest environment when farming rubber tree's?

Becasue if it were what a tremendously positive impact all the new rubber plantations would prove to be.

[poshthai]

Your gf is a clever young lady