Year: 2019
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Anthropogenic land-use covers a constantly increasing fraction of the terrestrial surface area. By employing a dynamic global vegetation model, human-induced changes in the terrestrial water balance as compared to an undisturbed scenario were simulated. The results suggest that humanity is a main driver of change in the terrestrial water balance in general and green water in particular. Most striking is the shift from biophysical plant transpiration to purely physical soil evaporation caused by deforestation. This intervention into the terrestrial water vapor flux has strong implications for regional and continental moisture recycling and can contribute towards reaching potential tipping points in the Earth system. All things considered, this study evaluates a qualitative and quantitative fundament of accounting for green water within the Planetary Boundary for Freshwater use to help preventing detrimental and unacceptable human interferences with the terrestrial water cycle.
Author: Arne Tobian
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2972487793