The comparison of water and matter flows in three small catchments in the Šumava Mountains

Abstract

The comparisons of water and matter flows have been evaluated in three small catchments with different land uses in the Ĺ umava Mountains in the south-west of the Czech Republic since 1999. The catchment of the MlĂ˝nskĂ˝ stream was artificially drained, the areas of the catchment retaining the character of drained, semi‑intensive pasture. The catchment of the HorskĂ˝ stream is covered with forest, mowed meadows, and locations with natural succession (wetlands). The catchment of the BukovĂ˝ stream is covered with forest, mostly with spruce monoculture. The highest amount of water was discharged from the drained MlĂ˝nskĂ˝ catchment whereas the amounts of water discharged from the HorskĂ˝ and BukovĂ˝ catchments were lower. The runoff maxima in the hydrologic year of 2002 were recorded in the MlĂ˝nskĂ˝ stream catchment in August - at the time of the catastrophic floods. On the other hand, the maximum discharges in the HorskĂ˝ and BukovĂ˝ stream catchments in August 2002 were comparable with those that occurred in the spring during the snow melt. In comparison, the water chemistry showed relationships between trends and features and the results of water runoff. The comparison of the runoff and matter flows in the catchments studied confirmed the influence of the land cover and management in both normal and extreme rainfall-runoff conditions.