| Title | Hydrological Functions of Tropical Forests: Not Seeing the Soil for the Trees? |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 2004 |
| Authors | Bruijnzeel, L. |
| ContactAuthor | asb@cgiar.org; sampurno.bruijnzeel@geo.falw.vu.nl |
| Journal | Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment |
| Volume | 104 |
| Start Page | 185 |
| Pagination | 185–228 |
| Keywords | climate, Deforestation, erosion, flow regime, humid tropics, Hydrology, reforestation, sediment yield, stormflow, water yield, watershed management. |
| Abstract | Differing perceptions of the impacts on hydrological functions of tropical forest clearance and conversion to other land
uses have given rise to growing and often heated debate about directions of public environmental policy in southeast Asia. In
order to help bring more balance and clarity to such debate, this paper reviews a wide range of available scientific evidence
with respect to the influence exerted by the presence or absence of a good forest cover on regional climate (rainfall), total
and seasonal water yield (floods, low flows), as well as on different forms of erosion and catchment sediment yield under
humid tropical conditions in general and in southeast Asia in particular. It is concluded that effects of forest disturbance and
conversion on rainfall will be smaller than the average decrease of 8% predicted for a complete conversion to grassland in
southeast Asia because the radiative properties of secondary regrowth quickly resemble those of the original forest again. |
| URL | http://www.asb.cgiar.org/pdfwebdocs/AGEE_special_Bruijnzeel_Hydrological_functions.pdf |
