Ecosystem service – soil water accumulation of cropland under different climatic and pedo-ecological conditions in Slovakia

This study aims to evaluate soil water accumulation of cropland agroecosystem in seven regions with various climatic and soil-ecological conditions. The potential of water accumulation in the soil (one of the regulating ecosystem services) was assessed through the hydro-limit of the field water capacity expressed in volume percentages. For the needs of spatial analysis and assessment of the potential of ecosystem services, mapping units were created based on biophysical data in combination with land use data. Result from our study showed that soil water accumulation in cropland ecosystems is higher in lowland positions and decreases with increasing altitude. Negative correlation between water accumulation and climatic regions (R=-0.63) is statistically significant. Cropland ecosystems with very high potential of water accumulation service are significantly represented in the region of Michalovce (93% of the area), Rožňava (58%) and Krupina (40%). In the Poprad region, there are mainly areas with a low potential (90%). The value of soil water storage potential can help in the development of functional strategies for optimal land use in the country.