Land cover changes in small catchments in Slovakia during 1990–2006 and their effects on frequency of flood events

Statistical approach to the analysis of the relationship between the frequency of flood events and land cover (LC) changes in small catchments of Slovakia is presented in this paper. The data for identification of LC changes were taken from the 1990 and 2006 CORINE LC (CLC) data layers. They were derived by computer-aided visual interpretation of satellite images under the CLC Projects. The data about frequency of flood events in small catchments are from the period 1996–2006. Two hypotheses were formulated: (1) the greater the area of LC changes, the more frequent flood events; (2) in catchments where LC changes accelerating formation of direct runoff (e.g. urbanization, deforestation, farming) dominates, flood events are more frequent than in catchments where the prevailing LC changes (e.g. afforestation) reduce formation of direct runoff. Validity of hypotheses was tested in the framework of flood potential of catchments by two-factor ANOVA method. The obtained results indicate that (1) flood event frequency increases with the increasing total area of LC changes in a catchment. This tendency clearly manifests itself in catchments with very high flood potential. It is somewhat less distinct in catchments with moderate and high flood potentials. (2) There were no differences in flood event frequency between the group of catchments, where LC changes accelerating the formation of the direct runoff prevailed and the group of catchments where LC changes decelerating the formation of direct runoff were dominated.