Shallow groundwater dynamics in the Pampas: climate, landscape and crop choice effects

A study in the western Pampas (2008-2013) found that while rainfall is the primary driver of inter-annual and seasonal water table fluctuations, crop choice (specifically wheat-soybean rotations) can partially mitigate seasonal risks like spring flooding. Topography determines the absolute depth of the water table but does not affect its relative fluctuations.

• Climate variability, specifically rainfall, is the primary driver of water table fluctuations at both seasonal and inter-annual scales. The water table rose or dropped by 0.21 cm mm-1 at the inter-annual scale and 0.22 cm mm-1 at the intra-annual scale based on the balance between precipitation and crop evapotranspiration.
• Crop choice influences groundwater levels only at the intra-annual scale, where wheat-soybean rotations can flatten spring level rises and summer drops compared to single crops of maize or soybean. This allows farmers to reduce spring flooding risk, but current crop rotations cannot substantially control longer-term, inter-annual water table dynamics.
• Topography affects the absolute position of the water table but does not influence its relative changes. In the studied area, water table depths ranged from -0.2 m (flooding) to 1.8 m in the lowest positions, and from 1.8 m to -4.4 m in the highest positions.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (2025). Shallow groundwater dynamics in the Pampas: climate, landscape and crop choice effects. https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/shallow-groundwater-dynamics-in-the-pampas-climate-landscape-and-crop-choice-effects/

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. Shallow groundwater dynamics in the Pampas: climate, landscape and crop choice effects. 2025. https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/shallow-groundwater-dynamics-in-the-pampas-climate-landscape-and-crop-choice-effects/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=Shallow groundwater dynamics in the Pampas: climate, landscape and crop choice effects |date=14 January 2025 |url=https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/shallow-groundwater-dynamics-in-the-pampas-climate-landscape-and-crop-choice-effects/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearch2025shallow, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{Shallow groundwater dynamics in the Pampas: climate, landscape and crop choice effects}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2025}, month = jan, url = {https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/shallow-groundwater-dynamics-in-the-pampas-climate-landscape-and-crop-choice-effects/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }