Effect of forest and grassland vegetation on soil hydrology

Abstract: Water retention characteristics, rainfall, throughfall and soil water content dynamics were investigated in a low mountain area to compare a forest and a grassland. The soil water retention curve of the topsoil has similar shape in both studied areas, however that of the deeper soil layer shows more difference. We determined the precipitation depth, duration and intensity values of rainfall events. The relationship between rainfall and throughfall depth was described in linear regressions. Interception was calculated as the difference between rainfall and throughfall plus stemflow, assuming stemflow to be 3 % of rainfall. Soil water content dynamics show a similar trend in the two vegetation types but the drying is more intensive in the forest in the soil layers deeper than 20 cm during the growing-season