Contradictory hydrological impacts of afforestation in the humid tropics evidenced by long-term field monitoring and simulation modelling

Lacombe Guillaume, Ribolzi Olivier, De Rouw Anneke, Pierret Alain, Latsachak Keoudone, Silvera Norbert, Pham Dinh Rinh, Orange Didier, Janeau Jean-Louis, Soulileuth Bounsamai, Robain Henri, Taccoen Adrien, Sengphaathith Phouthamaly, Mouche Emmanuel, Sengtaheuanghoung Oloth, Tran Duc Toan, Valentin Christian. 2016. Contradictory hydrological impacts of afforestation in the humid tropics evidenced by long-term field monitoring and simulation modelling. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 20 (7) : 2691-2704.

https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-2691-2016

Article de revue ; Article de recherche ; Article de revue à facteur d'impact Revue en libre accès total

Prévisualisation

Version publiée - Anglais
Sous licence

.
Contradictory hydrological impacts of afforestation in the humid tropics - Lacombe et al. 2016 - HESS .pdf
Télécharger (3MB) | Prévisualisation

Quartile : Outlier, Sujet : WATER RESOURCES / Quartile : Q1, Sujet : GEOSCIENCES, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Résumé : The humid tropics are exposed to an unprecedented modernisation of agriculture involving rapid and mixed land-use changes with contrasted environmental impacts. Afforestation is often mentioned as an unambiguous solution for restoring ecosystem services and enhancing biodiversity. One consequence of afforestation is the alteration of streamflow variability which controls habitats, water resources, and flood risks. We demonstrate that afforestation by tree planting or by natural forest regeneration can induce opposite hydrological changes. An observatory including long-term field measurements of fine-scale land-use mosaics and of hydrometeorological variables has been operating in several headwater catchments in tropical southeast Asia since 2000. The GR2M water balance model, repeatedly calibrated over successive 1-year periods and used in simulation mode with the same year of rainfall input, allowed the hydrological effect of land-use change to be isolated from that of rainfall variability in two of these catchments in Laos and Vietnam. Visual inspection of hydrographs, correlation analyses, and trend detection tests allowed causality between land-use changes and changes in seasonal streamflow to be ascertained. In Laos, the combination of shifting cultivation system (alternation of rice and fallow) and the gradual increase of teak tree plantations replacing fallow led to intricate streamflow patterns: pluri-annual streamflow cycles induced by the shifting system, on top of a gradual streamflow increase over years caused by the spread of the plantations. In Vietnam, the abandonment of continuously cropped areas combined with patches of mix-trees plantations led to the natural re-growth of forest communities followed by a gradual drop in streamflow. Soil infiltrability controlled by surface crusting is the predominant process explaining why two modes of afforestation (natural regeneration vs. planting) led to opposite changes in streamflow regime. Given that commercial tree plantations will continue to expand in the humid tropics, careful consideration is needed before attributing to them positive effects on water and soil conservation.

Mots-clés Agrovoc : plantation forestière, régénération naturelle, reconstitution forestière, hydrologie, forêt tropicale humide, conservation de l'eau, conservation des sols, Tectona grandis

Mots-clés géographiques Agrovoc : République démocratique populaire lao, Viet Nam, Asie du Sud-Est

Mots-clés libres : Impact hydrologique, Reforestation, Laos, Vietnam, Teck, Modélisation hydrologique

Classification Agris : K10 - Production forestière
P10 - Ressources en eau et leur gestion
P36 - Érosion, conservation et récupération des sols

Champ stratégique Cirad : Axe 6 (2014-2018) - Sociétés, natures et territoires

Auteurs et affiliations