Brazil’s Amazon region is undergoing a period of environmental setback, during which large infrastructure projects are being pushed forward and environmental protection is being reduced. One of these projects is the reopening of Highway BR-319, which was built in...

Deep root water uptake in tropical Amazonian forests has been a major discovery during the last 15 yr. However, the effects of extended droughts, which may increase with climate change, on deep soil moisture utilization remain uncertain. The current study utilized a 1999–2005 record of volumetric water content (VWC) under a throughfall exclusion experiment to calibrate a one-dimensional model of the hydrologic system to estimate VWC, and to quantify the rate of root uptake through 11.5 m of soil.