Tree restoration is an effective way to store atmospheric carbon and mitigate climate change. Many initiatives exist to increase global tree cover. However, the effects of these initiatives on water resources are still poorly understood. Locally, tree restoration will enhance evaporation. But impacts on precipitation reach far beyond country or …
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How forests can increase hydrological drought
Forests are known to have a negative effect on water yield (the total annual streamflow). However, little is known about the effect of forest on hydrological droughts. Considering the relatively high evapotranspiration of forest, hydrological droughts might be expected to increase when forest establishes. The effect of forest on hydrological …
Continue readingForest benefits from groundwater during drought – but not everywhere
It is often believed that trees can use their deeper roots to access groundwater during dry periods, but direct evidence for this is sparse. Both in situ observations and global datasets can provide insight into the relation between forest and groundwater, as is shown in two recent studies.
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