Monitoring of the hydrological balance in the area of the Kiskunság National Park Directorate

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to show how hydrological measurements made in forests and grasslands can contribute to the conservation treatment of ecologically significant habitats. The study was carried out in three different forest stands and their surrounding grasslands in the area of the Kiskunság National Park Directorate between 2012 and 2015. Different methods were applied during the research of the water balance. The average values of canopy interception were 23% in the Scots pine stand and 19.2% in the grey poplar stand. Rainfall quantity, intensity, and dispersion as well as tree structure and health greatly influenced interception. The transpiration values were 205 mm in the coniferous stand, 405 mm in the deciduous stand, and 370 mm in the black locust stand. The water balance of the habitats show that the water uptake is much lower in the grasslands than it is in the surrounding forest stands.