Hydrological responses to large-scale changes in land cover of river watershed: Review

Abstract

Despite many studies on the hydrological responses to forest cover changes in micro and mesoscale watersheds, the hydrological responses to forest cover alterations and associated mechanisms through the large spatial scale of the river watershed have not been comprehensively perceived. This paper thus reviews a wide range of available scientific evidence concerning the impacts exerted by the forest removal on precipitation, water yield, stream flow, and flow regimes. It is concluded that there is no statistical correlation between forest cover and precipitation and water yield at the micro and mesoscale. In contrast, there is a relative correlation coefficient (r = 0.77, p < 0.05) between forest cover and water yield at large scales (>1000 km2). These findings help our understanding of the hydrological response to forest disturbance at large and regional scale and provide a scientific perception to future watershed management in the context of human activities and natural hazards.