Functional effects of forest ecosystems on water cycle - Slovakia case study

Abstract

The paper presents the results from three different experimental plots in mountain areas in Slovakia. Annual interception losses varied in mature forest stand in Poľana Mts. (850 m a.s.l.) in mixtured (spruce, fir, beech) from 10.6 to 23.5%, in spruce from 20.5 to 35.5% and in beech forest from 8.8 to 26.9%. Horizontal precipitation reduces long-term average of interception loss by 3.2% (mixtured and spruce) and 2.9% for beech forest. Decline process in supramontane spruce forest has significant influence on interception process in climax spruce stand in Červenec. Mean biweekly interception loss in the central crown zone near the stem during growing seasons was 76.9% in living and 69.2% in dead forest. In the gap canopy interception loss was observed 11.7% in living and 17.9% in dead forest, in the dripping zone under the crown periphery 11.1% in living and 25.7% in dead forest. Results from the experimental catchment Lomnistá dolina showed that forest ecosystems increase the variability of rainfall amounts infiltrated to the soil environment in mountain watersheds, interception loss varied in a wide range: from 42 up to -10% due to altitudinal influence, tree species composition, stand age, and horizontal precipitation occurence.