Hydrological effects of forest plantation clear-cut on water availability: Consequences for downstream water users

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2018.06.007Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • Effects of forest plantation cover on water available to downstream users are examined.

  • Forest cover flow change model is used to simulate forest plantation effects on streamflow.

  • Forest management strategies as forest cover proportion should be adopted to reduce fast-growing forest effects on streamflow.

  • Low flow indices (7Q10 and Q90) could be used to examine the thresholds effects of forest plantation.

  • Planning forest plantation area could contribute to hydrosolidarity concept.

Abstract

Study Region

São Paulo State, Brazil.

Study Focus

This study assessed the influence of forest plantations on streamflow in a gauged catchment (85 ha), covered with fast-growing Eucalyptus sp. plantations. One strategy for reducing the effects of plantations on streamflow is to reduce the area of a catchment occupied by forest, and in this context, our objectives were to simulate the effects on streamflow of different proportions of forest cover (70%, 50% and 0% of the forest cover). Moreover, we used low-flow indices (Q90 and 7Q10) to examine the effects of such scenarios on water availability for downstream users.

New Hydrological Insights

Fast-growing forest plantation areas have been expanding globally, with simultaneously increasing concerns about the water consumption of these forests, especially in water-limited regions with consequences for downstream users. Simulations of scenarios with varying forest cover proportions showed an annual streamflow increase of 90% when clear-cutting had removed the forest cover in the catchment. The 100% forest cover scenario produced rates of streamflow below the low flow indices, resulting in less water availability for downstream water users. The reduction in forest cover proportion at the catchment scale promoted an attenuation of water use. Therefore, forest plantation management should adopt management strategies such as regulating the forest cover proportion to minimize the effects on water supply for downstream water users.

Keywords

Clear-cut proportion
Flow duration curve
Eucalyptus forest
Low flow indices
Forest age mosaic
Hydrological model

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