How does land use affect Infiltration and runoff?
Objective: Students will demonstrate to each other how various land uses affect rates of runoff and infiltration. Method: water, quart jar, watering can, soil, sod, runoff model bucket. Background Information: • Infiltration is water that seeps into the soil and recharges the aquifer. An Aquifer, or ground water reservoir, is the saturated water- bearing portion of Earth’s crust. Runoff is water that does not infiltrate into the aquifer, but instead runs over the surface of the land. • Runoff water , or overland flow. eventually collects in surface water bodies such as rivers, streams, or wetland swamps. • Forests have less runoff because the leaves and trees slow the rain fall that hits the ground, plant roots absorb water, and water is able to infiltrate into the earth. Pavement has greater runoff because nothing slows the rainfall, and water is not able to soak into the ground. . • Rates of infiltration for various land uses are as follows( from greatest infiltration to smallest): f
