Ecohydrology of tropical forests

Résumé fourni par la source

Tropical forests are global ecohydrological hotspots that regulate the water cycle at multiple scales through interactions among vegetation, soil moisture, and atmospheric dynamics. Due to conditions that promote atmospheric demand for water vapor, evapotranspiration (ET) rates in tropical forests are particularly high, accounting for over 70% of the water budget, sustaining atmospheric moisture recycling and influencing precipitation patterns. The latent heat fluxes represented by ET are a key part of the global climate system, distributing heat from the tropics to extra-tropical regions while cooling tropical ecosystems. Historical and emergent threats to tropical forests, including deforestation, agricultural expansion, and climate-driven shifts in seasonality, have significant ecohydrological consequences, reducing ET, increasing flood risks, disrupting regional precipitation feedbacks, and altering infiltration and soil moisture dynamics. Understanding these processes is critical for evaluating the future stability of tropical forests and their role in sustaining global water and energy cycles.

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