Abstract ID: 262

Water and Chemical Budgets at the catchment Scale from Intact Forests and Disturbed Landscapes

in this presentation, we summarize current understanding of the hydrological function and nutrient dynamics of Amazon forest derived from work in micro-catchments and how these processes are affected by land use and land cover changes, mainly the conversion of forest to pasture. Our conclusions are based on field observations in catchments located in different regions of Amazonia. We will review intensive studies of runoff, streamflow and catchment water balance and how these processes are altered by clearing of tropical forest for pasture. We also shown what is known about the processes that control the concentrations and export of materials that reach streams via different hydrological flowpaths in Amazon forest and how these processes and flowpaths are altered by deforestation and land use change. Finally, we present what we know about how hydrological and biogeochemical processes change with scale and how this understanding can be used to both predict catchment response to land use change and manage Amazon landscapes to maintain valuable hydrological and biogeochemical functions.

Session:  Feedbacks to Climate - Land cover, surface hydrology, and atmospheric feedbacks.

Presentation Type:  Poster