ENERGY CONTROL OF MATTER FLUXES THROUGH LAND WATER ECOTONES IN AN AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPE

Ecotones play and important role in control of matter input into water bodies. The impacts of shelterbelt and meadow ecotones on ground water passage from cultivated fields to pond were studied. The reduction of water flux due to evapotranspiration by shelterbelts and meadows on slopes of different steepness were estimated. The horizontal passage of heat energy between cultivated fields and ecotones, which enhances evaporation in shelterbelts and meadows was demonstrated. The reduction of ground water flux by a ten meter wide shelterbelt or meadow surrounding a pond can reach as much as 100 per cent when the slope is about 1 degree, during a sunny day. Shelterbelts are a more effective measure for control of cycling matter than meadows. The greater the slope of the water table and the more intensive the radiation and advective processes, the more distinct the differences between shelterbelt and meadow impacts on groundwater flow are.