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Abstract
A study was made to examine the temporal dynamics of water in four oak forests (Quercus pyrenaica) situated across a rainfall gradient. A simple model of monthly water balance was used, calculated from the time course evolution of soil water storage measured with a neutron moisture gauge and the relationship between deep drainage and soil water content. The results showed that precipitation was significantly related to drainage but not to actual evapotranspiration. Rainfall interception was moderate, and surface runoff negligible (14% and <0.5% of the rainfall, respectively). The dynamics of the soil water revealed two periods: wet and dry. In the first it was observed that the greater the rainfall, the greater the drainage of the soil profile, without involving a significant change in the water availability for plants. In the second, moderate to low transpiration values were obtained, meaning an important limitation in the consumption of water for plants and/or the need for extracting water from the weathered and/or fissured bedrock.