Dr Chris Huntingford from the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology collaborated on a new study which explains how global water availability is affected by changes in vegetation cover.
Dr Chris Huntingford from the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology collaborated on a new study which explains how global water availability is affected by changes in vegetation cover...
Our new paper in Nature Geoscience quantifies the impact of regional and major upstream changes in vegetation cover on local rainfall and freshwater resources. The analysis, led by Peking University, reveals how vegetation changes such as tree planting programmes or deforestation have potentially strong effects on rainfall levels and water resources beyond the areas undergoing those changes.
The study finds that for nearly half of the planet’s land surface (45 per cent), an increase in upstream vegetation cover will raise rainfall levels, promoting increased water availability. For these locations, which include central and eastern North America, Europe, and eastern China, avoiding upstream deforestation allows the forests to continue to recycle water into the atmosphere by evapotranspiration, making more water available again.
Read more at: UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
The study found that for nearly half of the planet’s land surface, an increase in upstream vegetation cover will raise rainfall levels, promoting increased water availability. (Photo Credit: Eberhard Grossgasteiger)
