Tree plantation in South America and the water cycle: impacts and emergent opportunities

South American tree plantations are expanding by 5,000 km²/year, causing significant shifts in precipitation partitioning and water yields. In sloped terrains, plantations typically reduce water yields by an average of 40% compared to native vegetation, with the strongest effects seen in drier climates and with eucalypt species. In flat landscapes, plantations can trigger local salinization by switching the water balance from net recharge to net discharge, although they may remediate salinization where native woodlands were replaced by agriculture. In degraded (sub)tropical rolling landscapes, plantations can reduce erosion and stabilize flow, though total water yield is reduced and benefits may be negated by large-scale clear cutting.

• Tree plantations in South America are expanding at a rate of 5,000 km² per year, driven by local economic conditions and globalized markets.
• In sloped terrains, global stream flow measurements from paired watersheds show that plantations result in water yields that are on average 40% lower than those of native vegetation, particularly in drier climates, areas with herbaceous host vegetation, and when eucalypts are planted.
• The impact of plantations on water balance varies by landscape: in flat areas with native grasslands, they can cause local salinization by shifting the balance from net recharge to net discharge; however, in areas where native woodland was replaced by agriculture, they can fix water table rise and salinization issues.
• In degraded (sub)tropical rolling landscapes with high rainfall, plantations can improve water quality, stabilize flow, and reduce erosion by increasing infiltration, although they decrease total water yield and these gains can be lost through large-scale clear cutting.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (2025). Tree plantation in South America and the water cycle: impacts and emergent opportunities. https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/tree-plantation-in-south-america-and-the-water-cycle-impacts-and-emergent-opportunities-book-chapter/

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. Tree plantation in South America and the water cycle: impacts and emergent opportunities. 2025. https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/tree-plantation-in-south-america-and-the-water-cycle-impacts-and-emergent-opportunities-book-chapter/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=Tree plantation in South America and the water cycle: impacts and emergent opportunities |date=17 January 2025 |url=https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/tree-plantation-in-south-america-and-the-water-cycle-impacts-and-emergent-opportunities-book-chapter/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearch2025tree, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{Tree plantation in South America and the water cycle: impacts and emergent opportunities}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2025}, month = jan, url = {https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/tree-plantation-in-south-america-and-the-water-cycle-impacts-and-emergent-opportunities-book-chapter/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }