Climate and Landscape Controls on the Water Balance in Temperate Forest Ecosystems: Testing Large Scale Controls on Undisturbed Catchments in the Central Appalachian Mountains of the US

The long-term water balance of catchments is given by precipitation partitioned into either runoff or evaporation. Understanding partitioning controls a critical focus hydrology and resources management. A useful theoretical framework that serves their understanding the Budyko Framework. Our purpose to understand how Budyko's n parameter related different what its relevance partitioning. We investigated relative importance dryness index for partitioning, then applied partial correlation analysis multivariate regressions find out which were principal controls. focused our research in central Appalachian mountains located eastern United States, considered as towers metropolitan areas mid-western US (e.g., Pittsburgh, Washington DC), selected set characterized minimal human disturbance with large proportions temperate forests. found climate such mean annual temperature fraction falling form snow exert higher influence on than landscape forest cover, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, slope). Thus, vegetation primary driver could not be confirmed based regional basin-wide characteristics. On other hand, topography, elevation particular, was highly ranked important. study highlights differ between basins same region, especially complex, mountainous topography setting.