2.5. Water use efficiency
defined water use efficiency (WUE)
as the amount of plant matter produced for unit of water
consumed. This parameter (g/L) was calculated, for each vegetated
unit, using the ratio between above-ground biomass dry weight
produced in a year (g/m2) and the total volume of water lost via ET
(L/m2) in the same period. This parameter was calculated in 2012
and 2013 immediately following harvest and allowed us to
compare relative water consumption between the two units
under identical hydraulic conditions but vegetated with different
species