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Increased Vegetation in Mountainous Headwaters Amplifies Water Stress During Dry Periods

Vicente-Serrano, S. M. ; Domínguez-Castro, F. ; Murphy, C. ; Peña-Angulo, D. ; Tomas-Burguera, M. ; Noguera, I. ; López-Moreno, J. I. ; Juez, C. ; Grainger, S. and Eklundh, L. LU orcid , et al. (2021) In Geophysical Research Letters 48(18).
Abstract

The dynamics of blue and green water partitioning under vegetation and climate change, as well as their different interactions during wet and dry periods, are poorly understood in the literature. We analyzed the impact of vegetation changes on blue water generation in a central Spanish Pyrenees basin undergoing intense afforestation. We found that vegetation change is a key driver of large decreases in blue water availability. The effect of vegetation increase is amplified during dry years, and mainly during the dry season, with streamflow reductions of more than 50%. This pattern can be attributed primarily to increased plant water consumption. Our findings highlight the importance of vegetation changes in reinforcing the decrease in... (More)

The dynamics of blue and green water partitioning under vegetation and climate change, as well as their different interactions during wet and dry periods, are poorly understood in the literature. We analyzed the impact of vegetation changes on blue water generation in a central Spanish Pyrenees basin undergoing intense afforestation. We found that vegetation change is a key driver of large decreases in blue water availability. The effect of vegetation increase is amplified during dry years, and mainly during the dry season, with streamflow reductions of more than 50%. This pattern can be attributed primarily to increased plant water consumption. Our findings highlight the importance of vegetation changes in reinforcing the decrease in water resource availability. With aridity expected to rise in southern Europe over the next few decades, interactions between climate and land management practices appear to be amplifying future hydrological drought risk in the region.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Geophysical Research Letters
volume
48
issue
18
article number
e2021GL094672
publisher
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
external identifiers
  • scopus:85115778055
ISSN
0094-8276
DOI
10.1029/2021GL094672
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
851949c5-9319-4b05-85cf-2486df7ca6dc
date added to LUP
2021-10-06 23:38:34
date last changed
2022-08-12 00:31:14
@article{851949c5-9319-4b05-85cf-2486df7ca6dc,
  abstract     = {{<p>The dynamics of blue and green water partitioning under vegetation and climate change, as well as their different interactions during wet and dry periods, are poorly understood in the literature. We analyzed the impact of vegetation changes on blue water generation in a central Spanish Pyrenees basin undergoing intense afforestation. We found that vegetation change is a key driver of large decreases in blue water availability. The effect of vegetation increase is amplified during dry years, and mainly during the dry season, with streamflow reductions of more than 50%. This pattern can be attributed primarily to increased plant water consumption. Our findings highlight the importance of vegetation changes in reinforcing the decrease in water resource availability. With aridity expected to rise in southern Europe over the next few decades, interactions between climate and land management practices appear to be amplifying future hydrological drought risk in the region.</p>}},
  author       = {{Vicente-Serrano, S. M. and Domínguez-Castro, F. and Murphy, C. and Peña-Angulo, D. and Tomas-Burguera, M. and Noguera, I. and López-Moreno, J. I. and Juez, C. and Grainger, S. and Eklundh, L. and Conradt, T. and Azorin-Molina, C. and El Kenawy, A.}},
  issn         = {{0094-8276}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{18}},
  publisher    = {{American Geophysical Union (AGU)}},
  series       = {{Geophysical Research Letters}},
  title        = {{Increased Vegetation in Mountainous Headwaters Amplifies Water Stress During Dry Periods}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2021GL094672}},
  doi          = {{10.1029/2021GL094672}},
  volume       = {{48}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}