The Role of Hydrologic Processes in Catchments

Abstract

Hydrological processes within a catchment perform an important role in the functioning of the ecosystem, by incorporating the complex processes (physical, chemical and biological) that sustain life. Water is a very vital factor that determines the efficiency of the ecosystem, species composition and biodiversity, hence the imperativeness of a review of the catchment hydrological processes causing runoff. Some of the models, such as the Stochastic and the Physical and Probability Distribution Models, will be reviewed. The factors affecting these hydrological processes, determining their functioning within the catchment will be reviewed to examine their effects on the productivity of the basin. For proper catchment management, this review is important for examining integration and understanding the important challenges of the interaction between economic, environmental, and productivity values of catchments as complex socioecological systems. Catchments have common hydrological characteristics but vary in their runoff response within the basin which is subject to the dominant hydrological factor controlling the catchment