10.5061/DRYAD.M62GJ
Woodward, Craig A.
University of Queensland
Shulmeister, James
University of Queensland
Larsen, Joshua
University of Queensland
Jacobsen, Geraldine E.
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
Zawadzki, Atun
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
Data from: The hydrological legacy of deforestation on global wetlands
Dryad
dataset
2015
Deforestation
human
Anthropogenic
Holocene
2015-10-30T00:00:00Z
2015-10-30T00:00:00Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1260510
629516 bytes
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Increased catchment erosion and nutrient loading are commonly recognized
impacts of deforestation on global wetlands. In contrast, an increase in
water availability in deforested catchments is well known in modern
studies but is rarely considered when evaluating past human impacts. We
used a Budyko water balance approach, a meta-analysis of global wetland
response to deforestation, and paleoecological studies from Australasia to
explore this issue. After complete deforestation, we demonstrated that
water available to wetlands increases by up to 15% of annual
precipitation. This can convert ephemeral swamps to permanent lakes or
even create new wetlands. This effect is globally significant, with 9 to
12% of wetlands affected, including 20 to 40% of Ramsar wetlands, but is
widely unrecognized because human impact studies rarely test for it.
Database S1Database S1 is an Excel spreadsheet that contains data from all
studies of deforestation in wetland catchments during the Holocene. These
are the papers used in the meta-analysis. All sites examined by each paper
are listed. This information was extracted from published, peer-reviewed
journal articlesDatabase S2Database S2 contains information on specific
sites where hydrological changes have occurred after deforestation.This
information was extracted from published, peer-reviewed journal articles
listed in Database S1Database S3This information was extracted from
published, peer-reviewed journal articles. Database S3 contains
information relating to the meta-analysis. Database S3 contains
information from each site where deforestation and wetland change data is
available. Post-deforestation wetland changes are identified including; a
change in sedimentation rate, eutrophication or change in hydrology.
Global coverage