The impact of forests on the evolution of water resources in the mid-altitude Alps from the middle of the 19th century (Chartreuse massif, France)
Since the Industrial Revolution, a substantial part of the land in mid-altitude mountain areas has been abandoned to woodland. The forest intercepts and retains a certain percentage of rainfall on its foliage, thereby reducing the amount of water actually reaching the ground. The gradual transformat...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Institut de Géographie Alpine
2012-02-01
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| Series: | Revue de Géographie Alpine |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/rga/1632 |
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| author | Dominique Dumas |
| author_facet | Dominique Dumas |
| author_sort | Dominique Dumas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Since the Industrial Revolution, a substantial part of the land in mid-altitude mountain areas has been abandoned to woodland. The forest intercepts and retains a certain percentage of rainfall on its foliage, thereby reducing the amount of water actually reaching the ground. The gradual transformation of the landscape over recent decades has therefore had an impact on the transfer of atmospheric water into a form that can be used as a resource. The present study, conducted at the scale of the Chartreuse massif (Pre-Alps, France), examines annual precipitation, the role of the forest in intercepting this precipitation, and changes in the extent of the forest cover. The impact of the extension of the forest cover from the middle of the 19th century on the amount of water lost through runoff and on groundwater reserves can thus be evaluated. The study shows that since the middle of the 19th century the extension of the forest cover in the Chartreuse massif has increased water losses through interception by almost 100 mm per year. It also reveals that over this same period water losses have not been compensated for by an increase in precipitation. In short, the hydrological balance has been considerably modified, with the amount of water available for runoff and groundwater reserves being less than that generally calculated simply from meteorological data records. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-19f1e593d22f4e4297d2eb7f8c9ec2c2 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0035-1121 1760-7426 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2012-02-01 |
| publisher | Institut de Géographie Alpine |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Revue de Géographie Alpine |
| spelling | doaj-art-19f1e593d22f4e4297d2eb7f8c9ec2c22025-01-10T15:54:29ZengInstitut de Géographie AlpineRevue de Géographie Alpine0035-11211760-74262012-02-0199310.4000/rga.1632The impact of forests on the evolution of water resources in the mid-altitude Alps from the middle of the 19th century (Chartreuse massif, France)Dominique DumasSince the Industrial Revolution, a substantial part of the land in mid-altitude mountain areas has been abandoned to woodland. The forest intercepts and retains a certain percentage of rainfall on its foliage, thereby reducing the amount of water actually reaching the ground. The gradual transformation of the landscape over recent decades has therefore had an impact on the transfer of atmospheric water into a form that can be used as a resource. The present study, conducted at the scale of the Chartreuse massif (Pre-Alps, France), examines annual precipitation, the role of the forest in intercepting this precipitation, and changes in the extent of the forest cover. The impact of the extension of the forest cover from the middle of the 19th century on the amount of water lost through runoff and on groundwater reserves can thus be evaluated. The study shows that since the middle of the 19th century the extension of the forest cover in the Chartreuse massif has increased water losses through interception by almost 100 mm per year. It also reveals that over this same period water losses have not been compensated for by an increase in precipitation. In short, the hydrological balance has been considerably modified, with the amount of water available for runoff and groundwater reserves being less than that generally calculated simply from meteorological data records.https://journals.openedition.org/rga/1632evolutionclimate changeforestprecipitationinterceptionChartreuse massif |
| spellingShingle | Dominique Dumas The impact of forests on the evolution of water resources in the mid-altitude Alps from the middle of the 19th century (Chartreuse massif, France) Revue de Géographie Alpine evolution climate change forest precipitation interception Chartreuse massif |
| title | The impact of forests on the evolution of water resources in the mid-altitude Alps from the middle of the 19th century (Chartreuse massif, France) |
| title_full | The impact of forests on the evolution of water resources in the mid-altitude Alps from the middle of the 19th century (Chartreuse massif, France) |
| title_fullStr | The impact of forests on the evolution of water resources in the mid-altitude Alps from the middle of the 19th century (Chartreuse massif, France) |
| title_full_unstemmed | The impact of forests on the evolution of water resources in the mid-altitude Alps from the middle of the 19th century (Chartreuse massif, France) |
| title_short | The impact of forests on the evolution of water resources in the mid-altitude Alps from the middle of the 19th century (Chartreuse massif, France) |
| title_sort | impact of forests on the evolution of water resources in the mid altitude alps from the middle of the 19th century chartreuse massif france |
| topic | evolution climate change forest precipitation interception Chartreuse massif |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/rga/1632 |
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