How does removing a forest canopy affect the water table in wet areas?

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Logging in Borneo — forestry Trucks on a road transporting recently harvested logs near Sabah's border with Kalimantan in Borneo.

Removing the forest canopy in wet areas leads to a rise in the water table.1

This occurs because trees play a critical role in regulating soil moisture through evapotranspiration, a process where plant roots absorb water from the soil and release it into the atmosphere through their leaves. When the canopy is removed, this mechanism for water loss is significantly reduced. Consequently, more water remains in the soil, causing the water table to rise.1

This shift can be problematic for forest health, as most tree roots require access to air and cannot survive or effectively exploit soil that is saturated below the water table. In forestry management, the drainage of such high-water-table land is often employed to increase forest productivity.1