Abstract
In a steady-state hydrological cycle, terrestrial precipitation is divided into evapotranspiration-a measure of biological productivity-and liquid water runoff. Both processes are crucial to local communities, and ecohydrological restoration should enhance both. Here, based on the law of mass conservation, we show that a necessary condition for runoff to increase alongside evapotranspiration is an increase in precipitation coupled to a change in air circulation. Precipitation is governed by atmospheric dynamics, particularly how quickly moist air rises. Unless these dynamics also intensify, an increase in evapotranspiration, while boosting biological productivity, will simultaneously cause an undesirable decrease in runoff, reducing water availability for people and livestock. Therefore, it is essential to assess how ecohydrological restoration influences atmospheric circulation. Based on theoretical considerations and observations, previous studies have suggested that atmospheric moistening through evapotranspiration can enhance atmospheric moisture convergence, thereby increasing runoff. However, global climate models commonly used for climate guidance may artificially suppress certain positive feedbacks between precipitation and air motion due to the constraints of convective parameterization. A key question is whether such feedbacks exist in the real atmosphere at large scales, even if their amplitudes are weaker than those simulated by current models with convective parameterization turned off. Here, we briefly review the challenges in representing precipitation-air motion feedbacks and outline a research perspective to assess the ability of global climate models to capture these processes and clarify their underlying physics. This could inform large-scale ecohydrological initiatives that are ongoing or planned worldwide and underscore the importance of preserving ecohydrologically resilient ecosystems.
1 Introduction
The vegetation-water nexus has been at the core of the human predicament since the distant past. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, perhaps the oldest account of ecohydrological collapse dating to around 2000 BCE, the hero deliberately destroys an ancient Forest of Cedar in Mesopotamia and witnesses a terrible drought and a sharp decline in the level of the Euphrates river as a result of deforestation (). Several thousand years later, but still long before the dawn of climate modeling, Friedrich Engels pointed out in 1876 that “the people who, in Mesopotamia, Greece, Asia Minor and elsewhere, destroyed the forests to obtain cultivable land, never dreamed that by removing along with the forests the collecting centres and reservoirs of moisture they were laying the basis for the present forlorn state of those countries” (). Archaeological research confirms the important role of vegetation disturbances in the extreme climate conditions that led to the collapse of ancient societies (; ). Nowadays, we are witnessing the water levels in the Amazon River basin, which has been subject to massive deforestation in recent decades, at record lows (; ).
Reduction in runoff means reductions in the availability of freshwater, hydropower, irrigation, and navigation. When implementing large-scale ecorestoration projects, it is essential to understand potential changes in runoff. If vegetation degradation reduces runoff, then the restoration of functional vegetation should increase it. However, the literature contains considerable controversy, with opposing views on whether adding or removing vegetation increases or decreases runoff (e.g., ; ; ; , and references therein).
Here, we highlight a point that often escapes emphasis. In a steady state (i.e., when local moisture stores remain unchanged), liquid water runoff—the net amount of water leaving the region per unit time—is equal to the net amount of water vapor supplied to the region laterally via the atmosphere per unit time, i.e., to the atmospheric moisture convergence (see Supplementary Equation A13). It follows unambiguously from the law of matter conservation that if evapotranspiration increases while air circulation remains unchanged, runoff will decline. A necessary condition for runoff to increase alongside evapotranspiration is a change in local air circulation, i.e., in the air velocity field, that is associated with increased precipitation. In Supplementary Appendix SA, we provide a detailed derivation of this statement, while here, we discuss it in simpler terms and illustrate it schematically (Figure 1).
FIGURE 1
The primary source of liquid moisture for an ecosystem is precipitation. As moist air moves inland and ascends, water vapor condenses and precipitates. Along the air path, water vapor concentration (represented by a large blue triangle in Figure 1a) decreases as precipitation removes moisture from the air column. There is more water vapor flowing in than flowing out, with the difference equal to runoff. In degraded drylands, where evapotranspiration is negligible, all precipitated moisture is lost as runoff (Figure 1a).
Following vegetation restoration, evapotranspiration intensifies, returning a portion of the precipitated moisture to the atmosphere. This additional moisture, represented by a green triangle in Figure 1b, affects two key processes. First, it increases the local atmospheric water vapor content, leading to enhanced precipitation. Since precipitation is proportional to both vertical velocity and local water vapor concentration (e.g.,
For runoff to increase alongside rising evapotranspiration, air circulation must change (Figure 1c; Supplementary Appendix SA). Moist air in the lower atmosphere, where most water vapor is concentrated, must flow in more rapidly and/or flow out more slowly. The latter can occur through more intense upward air motion, where air enters the region at lower atmospheric levels and exits at higher levels, depleted of water vapor.
Such changes in air circulation can arise from a positive feedback between precipitation and both horizontal and vertical air motion, where increased precipitation due to moisture recycling enhances the horizontal advection of moisture, which in turn fuels further precipitation. In this Perspective, we examine the evidence supporting this feedback and discuss how it can be assessed in models and observations.
Other important aspects of ecorestoration can also influence atmospheric dynamics, including changes in albedo and surface roughness associated with different vegetation types (e.g.,
2 Positive feedback between precipitation and air motion in observations and models
To our knowledge,
A parallel line of thought was pursued by
In numerical atmospheric circulation models, a feedback between precipitation and air motion has long been known and posed a serious problem known as numerical point storms (
One conceptual problem is that the common explanation of the feedback—that more latent heat means more warming—does not appear to be physically sound. To illustrate the degree of controversy, in the same year that
3 Convective parameterization
Early in climate modeling, convective parameterizations were introduced to suppress numerical point storms (
Convective parameterizations were designed to address two related but distinct problems. First, they helped dampen numerical instabilities, allowing climate models to generate stable solutions (
What remains the role of convective parameterizations? The SPOOKIE project found that turning convective parameterization off does not considerably alter the global mean precipitation, but significantly modifies its spatial distribution and, consequently, the atmospheric moisture transport. Precipitation over land, especially in the Amazon rainforest, is markedly reduced (
With the development of convection-permitting global climate models, which operate at kilometer-scale resolution and can explicitly resolve convection, the role of convective parameterizations in simulating realistic precipitation and air circulation has become especially evident. In models with convective parameterization, a portion of precipitation is generated within the grid cell by parameterization schemes, while the rest results from resolved larger-scale air motions. To address scale dependency, a scale-aware convective parameterization was developed, reducing the contribution of parameterized precipitation as grid cell size decreased. This enabled a comparison of convective parameterization impacts across different spatial resolutions. Contrary to expectations, at the finest kilometer-scale resolutions, where parameterized precipitation is already relatively small, completely disabling parameterization of deep convection led to an abrupt departure of the model output from realism (
Another major effect of disabling convective parameterization in convection-permitting models is a significant strengthening of tropical moisture convergence, with precipitation over the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) potentially tripling compared to observations (
This brings us back to some of the fundamental challenges that were identified early on and remain unresolved.
4 Research perspective: condensation-induced atmospheric dynamics
An alternative explanation for the positive feedback between precipitation and air motion has been proposed within the framework of condensation-induced atmospheric dynamics (for details, see
In an ecosystem context, this means that plant transpiration—by enhancing moisture recycling and increasing precipitation—is not a waste of soil moisture but can be seen as an “investment”. By moistening the atmosphere, evapotranspiration facilitates even greater moisture import. This aligns with the interpretation of the prominent Soviet hydrologist M. I. L’vovich, who described transpiration as “one of the highest forms of use of water resources” (
To evaluate the impact of the precipitation mass sink on atmospheric dynamics and distinguish it from latent and sensible heat effects in model simulations, atmospheric models can be run in the so-called reversible mode. In this mode, condensate remains suspended as cloud water rather than falling as precipitation. The term “reversible” refers to the thermodynamic process in which condensed water can fully re-evaporate within the same air parcel. While latent heat is released in both conventional and reversible simulations, the precipitation mass sink is present only in the former.
Numerical experiments with tropical storm models show that disabling condensate fallout strongly suppresses storm dynamics. Storms either fail to develop or form much more slowly, with significantly lower maximum wind speeds and weaker central pressure deficits. In the example shown in Figure 2, the maximum velocity of the reversible storm is about lower, while its central pressure deficit is reduced by a factor of two compared to the control storm with precipitation enabled.
FIGURE 2

Time evolution of maximum velocity (solid curves) and central pressure deficit (dashed curves) in modeled storms with precipitation off (condensate fallout disabled, reversible storm) and on (condensate fallout enabled, control storm), in relative units. Normalization quantities are m and hPa. Data from Figure 2 of
In tropical storm research, it was recognized early on that “the experienced numerical experimenter can pick and choose closures [i.e., specific convective parameterization schemes—our clarification] that will provide almost any desired result” (
The situation is further complicated by the role of convective parameterization in representing turbulence. Even at high resolutions—where its direct contribution to precipitation becomes minimal—convective parameterization continues to influence atmospheric dynamics through its implicit effect on turbulent diffusion. This explains the unrealistic behavior observed in high-resolution models when convective precipitation is disabled (
Certain model setups—emerging from specific combinations of grid size, time steps, and parameterizations—may suppress condensation-induced dynamics while amplifying heat-driven dynamics, or vice versa. As a result, these setups could produce differing predictions for atmospheric processes involving condensation. For instance, preliminary findings suggest that some storm-resolving models without convective parameterization predict a weaker decline in Amazon rainfall following deforestation due to enhanced air convergence over the warmer, deforested land (
Turbulence and convection can be parameterized in multiple ways, each capable of producing a satisfactory—albeit imperfect—agreement with observations. Some high-resolution models are tuned to observations without relying on convective parameterization, whereas others are calibrated using both convective and turbulent parameterizations. If different parameterizations yield distinct scenarios for how changes in vegetation cover influence ocean-to-land moisture transport, independent constraints are needed to assess the realism of these scenarios. Establishing such constraints would also help distinguish which model-observation mismatches are critical for reliable predictions and which are less consequential.
In this context, we would like to highlight condensation-induced atmospheric dynamics as a promising avenue. The framework of condensation-induced dynamics imposes a constraint on atmospheric power: the steady-state kinetic energy generation is proportional to precipitation . As a long-term climatological mean, this theoretical relationship is supported by observations on a global scale (
Furthermore, we propose that artificially suppressing precipitation by preventing condensate fallout can help quantify the relative roles of differential heating and condensation in driving ocean-to-land moisture transport within a given model setting. We suggest disabling precipitation (i.e., preventing the conversion of cloud water to rainwater) in global climate models to determine whether they exhibit a similar suppression of dynamics as tropical storm models. Tropical cyclones are of particular interest, as their representation in global climate models remains a long-standing challenge (
For each model configuration, one can define a measure, , to quantify differences in atmospheric dynamics between simulations with and without condensation fallout. For instance, can be expressed as the relative difference in moisture convergence over the Amazon between simulations where precipitation fallout is enabled versus disabled. Our hypothesis is that sensitivity to vegetation cover changes may correlate with , such that model configurations with a higher —indicating a stronger role of condensation—should exhibit greater sensitivity. If confirmed, could serve as a proxy for a given model setting’s capacity to reproduce the dynamics of ocean-to-land moisture transport. Such a proxy could potentially reduce computational costs, which is particularly relevant for high-resolution simulations.
Heat-driven ocean-to-land moisture transport—a distinct mechanism from condensation-induced dynamics—depends on the temperature contrast between land and ocean. Since land is warming faster than the ocean on average, this transport is expected to intensify with global warming, particularly in high-precipitation regions (the “wetter-get-wetter” scenario). In contrast, condensation-driven moisture transport may halt when the land-ocean temperature difference becomes critically high (
Notably, maximum moisture convergence and the most intense convection occur in the eyewalls of tropical storms, where evaporation rates peak and surface air temperatures reach their lowest values (
Global climate models predict that land precipitation should increase with warming at approximately per degree Kelvin (
FIGURE 3

Global total precipitation anomaly from 1983 to 2023, deduced from GPCP v. 3.2 (
One of the warmest years on record, 2023, saw a significant negative precipitation anomaly over land (Figure 3), particularly in the Amazon (
In summary, we suggest three research directions for consideration, as we believe they hold promise for improving our understanding of ocean-to-land moisture transport. These directions are currently being explored using the Brazilian Earth System Model (BESM,
5 Discussion
The United Nations has designated 2021-2030 as the Decade of Ecological Restoration, emphasizing the urgent need to rehabilitate ecosystems degraded by overexploitation (
Here, we have discussed that for river runoff to increase alongside rising evapotranspiration, a change in atmospheric circulation is necessary. Without such a shift, increased evapotranspiration from ecological restoration may instead reduce runoff and potentially deplete soil water and groundwater reserves (Supplementary Appendix SA). Consequently, optimizing ecological restoration strategies—particularly on a large scale—requires interdisciplinary assessments that account for potential changes in atmospheric dynamics.
An increased evapotranspiration leads to higher precipitation through moisture recycling. A critical question, therefore, is: how will atmospheric dynamics respond to this increase in precipitation? The current scientific understanding is marked by conflicting concepts, as summarized in Table 1. In global climate models with convective parameterization disabled, a strong feedback between precipitation and air motion is observed. However, the exact nature of this feedback remains uncertain, and it cannot be solely attributed to latent heat warming. In the absence of further investigation into the underlying mechanisms, this feedback is suppressed in these models by convective parameterizations.
TABLE 1
| Statements | References |
|---|---|
| 1. Empirical evidence suggests a positive feedback between precipitation and air motion | |
| 2. Theoretical arguments indicate that latent heat release cannot cause such a feedback | |
| 3. Theoretical arguments indicate that such a feedback can be caused by pressure changes associated with condensation and precipitation | |
| 4. Global climate models feature a positive feedback between precipitation and air motion on local and global scales; this feedback is (partially) suppressed by convective parameterization | |
| 5. In models of tropical storms without convective parameterization, storm dynamics are strongly suppressed when the condensate fallout is disabled | |
| 6. Statement No. 5 supports Statement No. 3; additional evidence in favor of No. 3 includes the approximate equality between observed intensification rates and precipitation in tropical storms | |
| 7. It is proposed to turn off the fallout of condensate in global climate models to investigate their capacity to capture the condensation sink dynamics | This study |
Rationale for the proposed numerical experiments.
These parameterizations play a crucial role in shaping how current models represent ocean-to-land moisture transport (
Investigating the positive feedback between atmospheric moistening, precipitation, and moisture convergence is essential not only for guiding ecohydrological restoration but also in the context of the unprecedentedly rapid changes our planet is currently undergoing. These changes include at least two major aspects of climate change: the increase in global surface temperature and the accumulation of atmospheric carbon dioxide. In 2023, both rates reached record values that were unpredicted by global climate models.
The biotic carbon sink, which has been removing about one-third of anthropogenic carbon emissions, ceased to function, presumably due to drought in the Amazon and fires in the Canadian forests (
The causes of this extraordinary warming remain unclear, but it is likely related to long-distance correlations in atmospheric and oceanic circulation (
If the anomalous warming is indeed caused by changes in oceanic and atmospheric circulation, and there is a positive feedback between evapotranspiration and atmospheric moisture convergence, the globally significant ecological dysfunction manifested as the collapse of the biotic carbon sink could contribute to the anomalous warming via its feedbacks on atmospheric circulation. Long-range effects on oceanic circulation from changes in vegetation cover have been previously identified (e.g.,
Expanding on this perspective, a larger proportion of global warming than currently assumed may have been driven by large-scale disruptions in atmospheric circulation linked to the widespread degradation of primary vegetation by human activity during the industrial era. The observed relative reduction in the intensity of the global water cycle, compared to model predictions (Figure 3c), may have contributed to significant additional warming (
There is an urgent need to elucidate the nature of the positive feedback between precipitation and air motion, starting at the conceptual level and subsequently addressing its integration into numerical models. There is growing recognition among climate scientists, particularly those focused on land processes, that theoretical understanding has not kept pace with the advancement of both numerical models and empirical datasets (
Climate change mitigation and hydrological restoration are inherently multidisciplinary challenges. As a team composed of theoreticians, modelers, and ecorestorationists working on the ground, we present these proposed analyses to the broader scientific community for discussion and possible cooperation. We believe that such investigations could ultimately contribute to the development of effective strategies for re-stabilizing the terrestrial biosphere and its water cycle.
Statements
Data availability statement
The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/Supplementary Material, further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.
Author contributions
AM: Conceptualization, Investigation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review and editing. AVN: Conceptualization, Investigation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review and editing. LC: Investigation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review and editing. ADN: Investigation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review and editing. FP: Investigation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review and editing. DA: Investigation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review and editing. PN: Investigation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review and editing.
Funding
The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research and/or publication of this article. Work of A. M. Makarieva is partially funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Free State of Bavaria under the Excellence Strategy of the Federal Government and the Länder, as well as by the Technical University of Munich–Institute for Advanced Study.
Acknowledgments
We acknowledge financial support from Brazilian Associação Bem-te-vi diversidade and Instituto Imbuzeiro.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Generative AI statement
The author(s) declare that no Generative AI was used in the creation of this manuscript.
Publisher’s note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Supplementary material
The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2025.1516747/full#supplementary-material
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Summary
Keywords
precipitation, transpiration, moisture convergence, forests, ecological restoration, streamflow (runoff), air circulation, condensation
Citation
Makarieva AM, Nefiodov AV, Cuartas LA, Nobre AD, Pasini F, Andrade D and Nobre P (2025) Assessing changes in atmospheric circulation due to ecohydrological restoration: how can global climate models help?. Front. Environ. Sci. 13:1516747. doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2025.1516747
Received
24 October 2024
Accepted
21 May 2025
Published
29 July 2025
Volume
13 - 2025
Edited by
Francina Dominguez, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States
Reviewed by
Simone Gelsinari, University of Western Australia, Australia
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© 2025 Makarieva, Nefiodov, Cuartas, Nobre, Pasini, Andrade and Nobre.
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*Correspondence: Anastassia M. Makarieva, ammakarieva@gmail.com
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