Water

Effects of Afforestation on Water Yield: A Global Synthesis with Implications for Policy

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This study synthesizes data  from global studies on reforested and afforested areas and compares these to grassland and shrubland areas. In particular, the authors measure response to water runoff.

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Modelling the Effect of Forest Cover on Shallow Landslides at the River Basin Scale

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This study analyzes soil models that can be used to help predict soil erosion which are useful to prioritize reforestation areas of watersheds.

Research Goals & Methods

The researchers tested the models in a river basin in Ecuador. They collected data for soil moisture/matric potential, depth, and rainfall. Vegetation (overland flow resistance coefficient) and root cohesion data were derived from the literature, as was the evapotranspiration rate.

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Management of sedimentation in tropical watersheds

Background

The sedimentation of reservoirs is a serious problem throughout the tropics, yet most attempts to control sedimentation in large river basins have not been very successful. Reliable information on erosion rates and sources of sediments has been lacking. This paper discusses some of the limitations in estimating erosion and sedimentation and encourages development of specific sediment budgets in order to extrapolate equations and generate management procedures.

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Restoring dense vegetation can slow mountain erosion to near natural benchmark levels

Background

Tropical mountain areas may undergo rapid land degradation as demographic growth and intensified agriculture cause more people to migrate to fragile ecosystems. To assess the extent of the resulting damage, an erosion rate benchmark against which changes in erosion can be evaluated is required. Benchmarks reflecting natural erosion rates are usually not provided by conventional sediment fluxes, which are often biased due to modern land use change, and also miss large, episodic events within the measuring period.

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Hydrological Functions of Tropical Forests: Not Seeing the Soil for the trees?

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This literature review provides a summary of hydrological functions in tropical forests and includes differences in the hydrology of disturbed areas, secondary forests, and mature forests.

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Effect of Reforestation using Tectona grandis on Infiltration and Soil Water Retention

Background

In this study, researchers examine the effect of teak (Tectona grandis) reforestation on soil infiltration and water retention in Sri Lanka. They compare the reforested site (12 years after planting) with a corn field and an abandoned pasture dominated by Imperata cylindrica grass.

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Using ecosystem valuation to protect the Atlantic Rainforest: the case of the Oasis Project

Background

The article explores the Oasis Project, which is a payment for ecosystem services program that aims to protect the Atlantic Forest in Brazil. The program was established in 1990 in response to the destruction of the forest. The Oasis Project aims to provide drinking water to approximately 17 million in the Sao Paulo metropolitan region by financially compensating landowners engaged in maintaining forest cover in their proprieties. 

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Deep Soil Moisture Storage and Transpiration in Forests and Pastures of Seasonally-Dry Amazonia

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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. 

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Environmental Drivers in Mangrove Establishment and Early Development: A review

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This study reviews literature on the environmental conditions that influence the establishment and early growth of mangroves.

Research Goals & Methods

Different species grow in areas with different flooding regimes. The authors used the classification of "inundation by all high tides, inundation by medium high tides, inundation by normal high tides, inundation by spring tides, and occasional inundation by exceptional or equinoctial tides."

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Modelos espaciales aplicados al manejo de los recursos naturales: una propuesta en la sub-cuenca del Río Pilón, Nuevo León, México (Spacial modeling applied to natural resources management)

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