Deep Soil Moisture Storage and Transpiration in Forests and Pastures of Seasonally-Dry Amazonia
background
This study, conducted in the seasonal rainforest of Northern Brazil (Para), compares re-growth of pasture, mature forest, and natural forest (capoeira).
Goals & Methods
The study assessed the impacts of land-use change on plant-available water (PAW) and evapotranspiration (ET). To do so, they measured volumetric water content (VWC) at 8 m below three nearby ecosystems over four years, including a mature evergreen forests, an adjacenet pasture, and a second-growth forest on abandoned pasture land.
Conclusions & Takeaways
The authors find that in fewer than 15 years, the secondary forest had similar hydrological functioning to the mature forest concerning seasonally averaged soil water reserves (at depths of 0-8m) and evapo-transpiration. They also find that trees transpire more water during dry seasons and low rain years. This is possible due to the re-charge of the groundwater during the wet season and tree roots able to access water.
Reference:
. Deep Soil Moisture Storage and Transpiration in Forests and Pastures of Seasonally-Dry Amazonia. In: Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Tropical Forest Ecosystems. Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Tropical Forest Ecosystems. Springer Netherlands; 1998:255–272. doi:10.1007/978-94-017-2730-3_11.
Affiliation:
- The Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, U.S.A.
- The Woods Hole Research Center, Woods Hole, MA, U.S.A.
- North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, U.S.A.
- Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropequaria, Bel´em, Para, Brazil