Quantifying the soil water storage capacity of flysh catchments
surrounded by mixed forests in Outer Carpathians by using the SWAT+
physical-based model
Abstract
Meteorological simulations using hydrological models are now important
for water and environmental resource management. The hydrological system
of a catchment cannot be measured precisely in practice. A combination
of limited measurements available in space, as well as a need to
extrapolate information from available measurements in time, led to the
use of the hydrological model. The aim of the study was to assess the
catchment retention capacity of the flysh catchments of the Smugawka
(19°47-49°33) and Mszanka (20°15-49°44′) rivers located in the Beskid
Wyspowy, southern Poland. Due to the large heterogeneity of the
catchment area and the limitations of the measurement technique, SWAT+
was employed in our study. Forested and pasture areas had higher soil
water retention potential, while lower soil retention potential values
are correlated with agricultural areas. Surface runoff of both
catchments correlated negatively with soil water retention potential,
evapotranspiration, and positively with mean annual precipitation. Soil
moisture was related to electrical conductivity and inversely correlated
with mean annual precipitation. A study has shown that SWAT+ can be
applied to calculate the mean annual continuous evapotranspiration for
meadows, forests, and agricultural areas. Curve number may be used as a
tool for water retention in floodplains. In line with the physical-based
SWAT+, the Landscape Hydric Potential (LHP) index can be incorporated
into the existing meteorological data models. In the future, watershed
models based on water balance should be developed to increase resilience
in the flysh Carpathian mountains to climate change.