Assessment of landscape efficiency in matter retention in submontane agricultural catchments of the Czech Republic

The evaluation of Landscape functions is a crucial problem of landscape management and an important aspect of ecological research. A new ecological concept of landscape efficiency has been used to study the processes and system functioning within selected submontane agricultural catchments. The concept of Landscape efficiency measures the interrelationship of energy dissipation with water and matter flows. The characteristic features of good Landscape efficiency and sustainability are: closed matter cycling, balanced water budget and Low matter tosses with water discharges. Catchments with implemented drainage and predominatety arable farming showed a lower performance of Landscape functions, for example, reduced water-retention capacity and quality of surface water discharged.