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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
general
Agricultural expansion raises groundwater and increases flooding in the South American plains
Science, Volume 380, No. 6652, Year 2023
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Description
Regional effects of farming on hydrology are associated mostly with irrigation. In this work, we show how rainfed agriculture can also leave large-scale imprints. The extent and speed of farming expansion across the South American plains over the past four decades provide an unprecedented case of the effects of rainfed farming on hydrology. Remote sensing analysis shows that as annual crops replaced native vegetation and pastures, floods gradually doubled their coverage, increasing their sensitivity to precipitation. Groundwater shifted from deep (12 to 6 meters) to shallow (4 to 0 meters) states, reducing drawdown levels. Field studies and simulations suggest that declining rooting depths and evapotranspiration in croplands are the causes of this hydrological transformation. These findings show the escalating flooding risks associated with rainfed agriculture expansion at subcontinental and decadal scales. © 2023 American Association for the Advancement of Science. All rights reserved.
Authors & Co-Authors
Tych, Wlodzimierz
United Kingdom, Lancaster
Lancaster University
Atkinson, Peter M.
United Kingdom, Lancaster
Lancaster University
Rufino, M. C.
United Kingdom, Lancaster
Lancaster University
Germany, Munich
Technische Universität München
Jobbágy, Esteban Gabriel
Argentina, Buenos Aires
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Statistics
Citations: 3
Authors: 4
Affiliations: 5
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1126/science.add5462
ISSN:
00368075
Research Areas
Health System And Policy