Understanding the water balance and its estimation methods

Abstract In every ecosystem, the calculation of water balance in the hydrological cycle requires accurate estimations of different processes and water components/fluxes. To address this need, this chapter first discusses the concept of the hydrological cycle and water balance at different spatial scales (from plot to global/continental). Then, the components/fluxes of the hydrological cycle are analyzed, with a specific focus on atmospheric, surface, and sub-surface waters. Finally, an overview of the different approaches to calculate the water balance is presented, including the in-situ measurement methods as well as the hydrological modeling.