Hydrological Responses to Land Use Change in Tropical Ecosystems

Land use change in tropical ecosystems—ranging from deforestation and agricultural conversion to natural regeneration—profoundly alters the regional water cycle. Removal of deep-rooted vegetation typically reduces soil porosity and increases bulk density, thereby diminishing infiltration and elevating surface runoff. This shift accelerates stormflow peaks, reduces groundwater recharge and baseflow, and heightens flood risk during extreme rainfall. Conversely, secondary forest growth and assisted natural regeneration can restore soil structure, promote macropore development and re-establish evapotranspiration-infiltration balances, moderating streamflow extremes. Recent empirical studies and process-based models have elucidated the role of preferential flow pathways, subsurface storage thresholds and vegetation-driven evaporative demands in shaping hydrological responses. These insights inform sustainable land-management strategies across humid lowlands, montane cloud forests and seasonally dry tropical regions, underlining the global importance of integrating hydrological knowledge into restoration and agricultural planning.

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Hydrological Responses to Land Use Change in Tropical Ecosystems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in hydrological responses to land use change in tropical ecosystems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Catchment: A land area draining rainfall to a common outlet, such as a river or reservoir.

Evapotranspiration: Combined process of water evaporation from soil and transpiration by plants.

Infiltration-excess overland flow: Runoff generated when rainfall intensity exceeds the soil’s infiltration capacity.

Saturation-excess overland flow: Runoff occurring once the soil profile becomes fully saturated and cannot accommodate further infiltration.

Preferential flow paths: Subsurface channels (e.g. root holes, worm casts) that rapidly convey water through soil, bypassing the matrix.

Streamflow: The flow of water in natural channels, reflecting surface and subsurface contributions.

References

1. Effects of (Assisted) Natural Regeneration on Infiltrability and Preferential Flow Pathways in the Khasi Hills (Meghalaya, NE India). Land Degradation and Development (2024).
2. Effects of conversion of native cerrado vegetation to pasture on soil hydro-physical properties, evapotranspiration and streamflow on the Amazonian agricultural frontier. PLOS ONE (2017).
3. Flood severity along the Usumacinta River, Mexico: Identifying the anthropogenic signature of tropical forest conversion. Journal of Hydrology X (2021).