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

This research paper examines the hydrological impacts of tree plantations in South America, noting that while they expand by 5,000 km²/year, their effect on water yields and soil salinity varies significantly based on climate, topography, and the type of native vegetation replaced.

• Tree plantations in South America are expanding at a rate of 5,000 km² per year, driven by local economic conditions and globalized markets. Their primary hydrological impacts are the shifting of precipitation partitions between vapor and liquid fluxes, and the partitioning of liquid fluxes between run-off/fast flow and deep drainage/base flow.
• The impact of plantations on water yield depends on terrain and climate: in sloped terrains, water yields are on average 40% lower compared to native vegetation, with stronger effects in drier climates, areas with herbaceous host vegetation, or where eucalypts are planted.
• The effect of plantations on water tables varies by the original landscape: in flat landscapes with native grasslands, plantations can shift the water balance from positive to negative, causing local salinization; however, in areas where native vegetation was woodland, plantations can remediate water table rise and salinization caused by agriculture.
• In degraded rolling (sub)tropical landscapes with high rainfall and run-off, plantations can improve water quality, stabilize flow, and increase infiltration rates to reduce erosion, although they still reduce total water yield. These benefits may be negated by 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} }