Forest loss does more than reduce tree cover. A new global study involving UBC Okanagan researchers shows it can fundamentally change how watersheds hold and release water. The research analyzed data from 657 watersheds across six continents. It found that both forest loss and changes in forest landscape pattern cause watersheds to release a higher proportion of “young water”—rain and snowmelt that moves through a watershed within roughly two to three months of falling. “Young water is a signal that water is moving quickly through a system,” says Ming Qiu, lead author and doctoral student in UBC Okanagan’s Earth and Environmental Sciences program. “When the young-water fraction is high, it means less water is being stored in soils and groundwater for use during drier periods.” The study was co-authored by Qiu and Dr. Adam Wei, professor in UBCO’s Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science.