Brazil planted eucalyptus for pulp; 45 years later groundwater fell 4.5 metres

Brazil’s eucalyptus industry was built on a simple promise: grow trees quickly, harvest them for pulp and create a renewable supply for the global paper industry. Over decades, however, the enormous plantations have transformed landscapes across parts of the country, raising concerns about what happens to water beneath the trees. In one eucalyptus-growing region of Minas Gerais, scientists found that groundwater levels had fallen by 4.5 metres over about 45 years. The discovery has added weight to concerns from rural communities that say streams have weakened and water has become harder to find. In Bahia, where vast plantations supply the pulp industry, residents have even described the landscape as a “green desert”. The story highlights a difficult environmental question: can forests planted for industry remain sustainable when they occupy huge areas and alter how rainfall moves through the landscape?How eucalyptus transformed Brazil’s landscapeBrazil has become a global powerhouse in eucalyptus production because the tree grows rapidly and provides an efficient source of fibre for pulp and paper. Vast plantations now cover parts of states including Bahia and Minas Gerais, supplyi...