ABSTRACT
One of the insufficiently recognized problems of formation of water balance is how the structure of plant cover in agricultural landscapes impacts the structure of water balance. The size of catchment has significant impact on the accuracy of the water balance estimation. Precipitation is a vital water flux entering the landscape and largely determining the water balance structure. Many factors determine the values of individual water fluxes and water balance components; they can be divided into three groups: general weather and climatic conditions, physical and hydraulic features of soil and plant covers characteristics. From the water-balance point of view, soil plays the role of water reservoir. The amount of water stored in the soil, its availability to plants, and its movement depend on the soil’s structure and mineral composition as well as on its organic matter content. The impact of solar energy flux on the intensity of evapotranspiration increases simultaneously with increasing plant development stage.
