Response of Eucalyptus largiflorens to floodplain salinisation.

An analysis of the stable isotopes from the tree rings of Eucalyptus largiflorens on the Chowilla Floodplain was undertaken. This chronology of tree water use responses was compared to the known hydrological changes that have occurred due to the effects of river regulation. The isotope chronology indicates that E. largiflorens has always oscillated between groundwater and rain-derived soil water and river regulation has apparently had little effect on tree water sources over time. This result is surprising, but no doubt reflects the complexity of floodplain processes and interactions between trees, water and the landscape.