The critical role of forests and trees in regulating the water cycle

Forests and trees – on or near agricultural land but also hundreds of kilometres away – can provide a range of water-related ecosystem services critical for agriculture, including freshwater supply, regulation of water flows, local climates and temperatures, as well as water damage mitigation, and water purification.

The water-related ecosystem services from trees and forests to agriculture are insufficiently monitored and valued, which means that they are under recognized in the agricultural sector and agriculture-related policies, resulting in economic losses for farmers and countries.

An integrated approach to landscape and natural resource management – forests and water – at various scales is essential for ensuring that the benefits of forests and trees for agriculture are optimized. Decision-support systems that consider trade-offs and synergies among the forest ecosystem services provided are emerging as key tools to facilitate this.

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