Higher water table levels and flooding risk under grain vs livestock production system in the subhumid plains of the Pampas

The study finds that grain production systems in the Pampas lead to higher water-table levels and increased flooding risk compared to dairy systems. This is attributed to lower transpiration rates in annual crops and enhanced groundwater recharge in croplands, whereas perennial pastures maintain deeper water tables through higher transpiration and direct groundwater discharge.

• Dairy systems, dominated by perennial alfalfa pastures, exhibit significantly deeper long-term average water-table levels (4 m) compared to single cropping (1.5 m) and double cropping (2.1 m) systems.
• Grain production systems have a higher flooding risk due to lower transpiration capacity (724 mm y-1) compared to dairy systems (852 mm y-1), as well as enhanced groundwater recharge in croplands and higher soil moisture (552 mm stored at 0-3 m depth versus 316 mm under pastures).
• There is a strong link between the expansion of grain production systems and an increase in the frequency and severity of floods in the Pampas, driven by the association between plot water balance and regional flooding.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (2025). Higher water table levels and flooding risk under grain vs livestock production system in the subhumid plains of the Pampas. https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/higher-water-table-levels-and-flooding-risk-under-grain-vs-livestock-production-system-in-the-subhumid-plains-of-the-pampas/

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. Higher water table levels and flooding risk under grain vs livestock production system in the subhumid plains of the Pampas. 2025. https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/higher-water-table-levels-and-flooding-risk-under-grain-vs-livestock-production-system-in-the-subhumid-plains-of-the-pampas/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=Higher water table levels and flooding risk under grain vs livestock production system in the subhumid plains of the Pampas |date=15 January 2025 |url=https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/higher-water-table-levels-and-flooding-risk-under-grain-vs-livestock-production-system-in-the-subhumid-plains-of-the-pampas/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearch2025higher, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{Higher water table levels and flooding risk under grain vs livestock production system in the subhumid plains of the Pampas}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2025}, month = jan, url = {https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/higher-water-table-levels-and-flooding-risk-under-grain-vs-livestock-production-system-in-the-subhumid-plains-of-the-pampas/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }