Seminar: Shijie Jiang

The relationship between vegetation and streamflow is still an open question in ecohydrological research. This study aims to understand the underlying mechanisms driving potential streamflow responses to changes in LAI. To this end, we developed a hybrid model that combines observational constraints from different water cycle components and follows water balance principles. Our results suggest that increased LAI may lead to widespread decreases in streamflow in humid regions during all seasons, but slight increases in snowy regions and seasons. We found that the observed differences in spatial and seasonal patterns can be attributed to interactions between changes in land surface properties, soil infiltration and structure, and microclimate dynamics. Our study highlights the complex processes by which vegetation change influences streamflow, and provides a new method for understanding (physically plausible) relationships from observational constraints.