EN
The amount of water stored in forest soils was estimated on the basis of 358 experimental trials with 18 monoliths taken from forest soils. Rainfall was simulated in two cycles of different length of break between rainfall events. The results showed, that the amount of water stored in forest soils was influenced both by the initial moisture content in samples and by the length of time between consecutive rainfall events (duration of drying). The ascertained differences in the amount of water stored in a sample amounted from 30% to 200% and were larger in case of longer breaks between consecutive rainfalls. The results can be explained by the differences in duration of water absorption by the particles of organic matter. The results indicated also, that the maximum amounts of water stored after a single rainfall event in organic layers of forest soils is larger than the maximum amount stored in the organic layer of a meadow soil of similar depth.