The Evaluation of Water Regulation Agroecosystem Services in Context with Risk Area Determination

Abstract

Aim of this study is to assess and map the retention capacity of the soil in agroecosystem, the capacity of the ecosystem to provide water regulation in Slovak Republic, as well as to describe the use of GIS techniques in creating an uniform spatial units for agroecosystem services inventor. We have created a mapping unit combining these input layers: slope topography, soil texture and usage of land in four climatic regions. Potential of water regime regulation (soil water storage) is determined on the basis of the value of retention water capacity recalculated to soil water storage in context with the soil depth. Evaluated potential of water regulation service was categorised into five categories (very low, low, medium, high and very high). In Slovakia 27.47% of the area of agricultural ecosystems has very high potential for regulation of water regime (accumulation of water in the soil). They are mostly ecosystems of arable land located in Eastern Slovak Lowland, Danubian Upland, South-Slovak Basin and Košice Basin with heavy clay loam and clayey deep soils without skeleton. Ecosystems with very low and low potential for water storage occupy 32.04% and these are predominantly grasslands. To identify the risk areas, we evaluated the potential of water regulation in relation to factor R, which represents the risk of torrential rain. In Slovakia 18.20% of the area of agricultural ecosystems has from very high to high risk of agroecosystem degradation. The methodology developed in this paper is replicable and could be applied by planners in the case they are proficient in geographical information systems.