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AGU: Geophysical Research Letters

 

Index Terms

  • Global Change: Climate variability
  • Hydrology: Anthropogenic effects
  • Hydrology: Precipitation

Abstract

The local and global effects of Southeast Asian deforestation

David Werth

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA

Roni Avissar

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA

Using a global climate model (GCM), we simulate the effects of deforestation of Southeast Asia, looking at the local and remote precipitation effects of such a land-use change. We observe a strong local effect, with a reduction in Asian precipitation that persists throughout the year. The effect of this tropical rainforest deforestation extends throughout the Tropics, but it is weaker than that seen earlier in response to Amazonian and African deforestation. The remote effect is caused by the Asian geopotential changes being spread beyond the deforested area by the large-scale winds. The magnitude of the impact is proportional to the percentage of deforestation.

Received 22 March 2005; accepted 31 August 2005; published 18 October 2005.

Citation: Werth, D., and R. Avissar (2005), The local and global effects of Southeast Asian deforestation, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L20702, doi:10.1029/2005GL022970.

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