Resumen
Increased droughts and variable rainfall patterns may alter the capacity to provide ecosystem services, such as biomass production and clean water provision. The impact of these factors in a semi-arid region, especially on a dry tropical forest with Vertisols and under different land uses such as regenerated vegetation and thinned vegetation, is still unclear. This study analyzes hydrologic processes under precipitation pulses and intra-seasonal droughts, and suggests management practices for ecosystem services improvement. A local 43-year dataset showed a varying climate with a decrease in number of small events, and an increase in the number of dry days and in event rainfall intensity, in two catchments with different land use patterns and with Vertisols, a major soil order in semi-arid tropics. The onset of runoff depends on the expansive characteristics of the soil rather than land use, as dry spells promote micro-cracks that delay the runoff process. Forest thinning enhances groundcover development and is a better management practice for biomass production. This management practice shows a lower water yield when compared to a regenerated forest, supporting the decision of investing in forest regeneration in order to attend to an increasing water storage demand.