Introduction
The science of rural and wildland hydrology is the study of the water cycle (Figure 1) in rural and wildland settings from two core perspectives:
- How do human uses affect the water cycle?
- How does the water cycle influence human uses?
You were likely first introduced to the water cycle in elementary school through hands-on fun exercises. That may have been your only formal study. If not, you may have had more advanced water cycle schooling before graduating from high school or you may even have had technical study in college.
You experience the water cycle every day, whether you realize it or not: did you just drive through a thunderstorm; did you ski during a snowstorm last weekend; did a local bridge wash out recently during a flood; did all the plants in your garden wilt because you forgot to water; did your well go dry?
Figure 1. The Water Cycle
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has a wonderful webpage that explains the water cycle in easy to read layman terms. I encourage you to visit Summary of the Water Cycle to further your understanding of the hydrologic or water cycle.