Effects of soil degradation on infiltration rates in grazed semiarid rangelands of northeastern Patagonia, Argentina

► Soil infiltration rate showed spatial heterogeneity at the landscape scale. ► Grazing affected both ecological and soil hydrological processes. ► Degraded shrublands showed poorer soil hydrologic condition than conserved grasslands. ► Vegetation structure and soil quality explained the differences in infiltration. ► This study identified plant communities at risk of irreversible soil degradation