Current Agriculture Expansions and the Risk of Dryland Salinization in Central Argentina

JAYAWICKREME DH ; SANTONI CS; NOSETTO MD; KIM JH; BALLESTEROS SI; JOBBÁGY EG; JACKSON RB

San Francisco

Congreso; American Geophysical Union. Fall meeting; 2010

American Geophysical Union

South America. In central Argentina, vast tracts of natural woodland and grassland ecosystems are converted each year primarily for a larger share of the world?s soybean market. Invisible to landowners,policy makers and many others alike, these land-cover conversions are altering the water balance over the landscape. Our research finds that in semi-arid areas of central Argentina, the introduction of rain-fed agriculture increases deep drainage and groundwater recharge from