Land cover change and water vapour flows: learning from Australia

• DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2003.1381
• Publication Date: 2003-12-08T21:54:34Z
• Authors: Line Gordon; Michael Dunlop; Barney Foran
• Keywords: Freshwater ecosystem; Global Change; Clearing; Water cycle; Land Cover

Australia is faced with large–scale dryland salinization problems, largely as a consequence of the clearing native vegetation for cropland and grassland. We estimate change in continental water vapour flow (evapotranspiration) during past 200 years. During this period there has been substantial decrease woody corresponding increase croplands grasslands. The shift land use caused ca . 10% flows from continent. This reduction corresponds to an annual freshwater almost 340 km 3 society–induced alteration estimated at more than 15 times volume run–off that diverted actively managed Australian society. These alterations were previously not addressed management but are now causing serious impacts on society local economies. Global assessments policy often neglects interplay between landscape dynamics. Freshwater issues both regional global levels must be rethought terrestrial ecosystems better incorporated ecosystem management.