Effects of Grassland Afforestation on Water Yield in Basins of Uruguay: A Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Historical Trends Using Remote Sensing and Field Measurements

Deyvis Cano, Carlos Cacciuttolo (), Maria Custodio and Marcelo Nosetto
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Deyvis Cano: Programa Académico de Ingeniería Ambiental, Universidad de Huánuco, Huánuco, Peru
Carlos Cacciuttolo: Civil Works and Geology Department, Catholic University of Temuco, Temuco 4780000, Chile
Maria Custodio: Centro de Investigación de Medicina en Altura y Medio Ambiente, Facultad de Medicina Humana, Universidad Nacional del Centro del Perú, Huancayo 12006, Peru
Marcelo Nosetto: Grupo de Estudios Ambientales, Instituto de Matemática Aplicada San Luis (IMASL), Universidad Nacional de San Luis (UNSL) y Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Luis 5700, Argentina

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-21

Abstract: The afforestation of grasslands can alter different ecosystems’ functional processes; it affects the water balance due to the high water demand, caused by the increased productivity of the plantations, increase evapotranspiration, and reduces base flow of the basins. In Uruguay, there are two scenarios; the headwaters of the Tacuarembó River, where the area of plantations has increased for more than 30 years, and the headwaters of the Río Negro, where mainly grasslands are preserved without significant changes. This article evaluates the dynamics of grassland afforestation in the two basins, through the spatial and temporal analysis of historical trends with the use of remote sensors and considering the effect on water yield through field measurements, in the period 1984–2014. The spatial analysis shows an increase in the area of the forested basin, and the temporal analysis shows a reduction in the runoff coefficient due to the effect of the afforestation of pastures. Therefore, the movement from grassland to forest plantations reduces water flow considerably; this was identified through base flow measurements in the field with the integration of remote sensors. This allowed the observation of the relevant changes in the two basins studied, which may be related to climate change and human activities.

Keywords: afforestation; pastures; water yield; basin; trend; NDVI index; remote sensing; vegetation cover (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:12:y:2023:i:1:p:185-:d:1026951

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