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Abstract
The water storage capacity of 10 typical soils on abandoned fields in five test areas along a transect from the High Pyrenees to the Central Ebro Basin is related to precipitation and potential evapotranspiration. The annual precipitation increases from 300 mm in the Central Ebro Depression to 1700 mm in the subalpine area, the potential evapotranspiration decreases from 920 mm to 650 mm. However in the High Pyrenees, months with a negative water balance are frequent. For a period of 6 years (1994-1999) the potential soil water balance was calculated on the base of physical soil properties and climatic data in daily intervals. The results show several periods with a very low content of plant available water in all test areas. They last for up to 8 months in the Central Ebro Basin and 2 weeks in the high mountain region. Beside grazing and soil erosion, the limitation of plant available water is a major reason for a slow vegetation succession on abandoned fields.
Highlights
The interest in water balance of Mediterranean countries is very high since presentday water shortages are endemic throughout this region (Kerkides et al, 1996; Milliman et al, 1992)
For example in 1994 the yearly precipitation amount was very low in María de Huerva (MDH) and high in Aísa (AIS), but during the summer period (Jun-August) the precipitation amounts are low and very low in all five test areas
A low content of soil moisture in the major rooting zone can be observed for several periods in all test areas from the Inner Ebro Basin to the High Pyrenees
Summary
The interest in water balance of Mediterranean countries is very high since presentday water shortages are endemic throughout this region (Kerkides et al, 1996; Milliman et al, 1992). For Aragón Cuadrat (1995) has calculated the potential evapotranspiration, the climatic water balance and the soil water balance by the method of Thornthwaite and Mather (1955, 1957). The calculation is based on long term mean values and shows a large deficit in the Inner Ebro Basin and a large surplus in the High Pyrenees. The objective of this study is to get a more detailed picture of the soil water budget on abandoned fields during the investigation period of the EPRODESERT project. The second step was the calculation of the soil water budget in daily intervals using a simple calculation method
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