The Effects of Agricultural Conservation Practices on the Small Water Cycle: From the Farm- to the Management-Scale

Reinforcing the small water cycle is considered to be a holistic approach both resource and landscape management. In an agricultural landscape, this can accomplished by incorporating conservation practices; their incorporation reduce surface runoff, increase infiltration, holding capacity of soil. Some typical practices include: tillage, contour farming, residue incorporation, reducing field sizes; these efforts aim keep soil in landscape. The such has been extensively studied over last 40 years. Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used model two basins Czech Republic (one at farm-scale second management-scale) determine effects agriculture practice adoption each scale. We found that farm-scale, farming most effective reinforcing cycle, followed incorporation. At management-scale, we widespread significantly reinforced but relative scale spatial distribution were not reflected SWAT scenario analysis. Individual farmers should incentivized adopt practices, as have great farm-scale. significant study, implying managers incentivize any would regardless.