Resumo. Hydrophobicity can be understood as the soil water repellency or difficulty to soil wetting. This is associated with the coating of soil particles by hydrophobic organic substances and currently there are numerous reports of water repellency in forest areas of Eucalyptus and Pinus. Thus, this study aims at reviewing and listing the aspects related to the origin of hydrophobic compounds and the effects of the water dynamics in the forest environment, as well as implications in growth and development of trees in Eucalyptus and Pinus forests. It is recognized that the local vegetation and some bacteria and fungi, depending on their chemical composition, may release hydrophobic organic substances. Another risk factor is the occurrence of burnings which induce changes in organic compounds and promote soil drying. Furthermore, the particle size distribution and the soil pH may be indirectly associated with the occurrence of soil water repellency The occurrence of hydrophobicity requires special attention regarding the soil use and management, because this repellency affects the water movement on the surface and inside the soil profile. Changes in sorptivity, reduction in water infiltration, increase in runoff and occurrence of preferential flow are the main hydrological effects of this phenomenon. Due to their lower infiltration rates there is increased the surface flow and reducing the amount of water available, increasing the erosion and, consequently affecting the growth and development of plants.