Estimating linkages between forest structural variables and rainfall interception parameters in semi-arid deciduous oak forest stands
- An understanding of the relationship between canopy structure and the water balance is needed for predicting how forest structure changes affect rainfall partitioning and, consequently, water resources. The objective of this study was to predict rainfall interception (I) and canopy storage capacity (S) using canopy structure variables and to investigate how seasonal changes influence their relationship. The study was conducted in twelve 50 m x 50 m plots in the Zagros forest in the western Iranian state of Ilam, protected forests of Dalab region. Average cumulative I was 84.2mm, accounting for 10.2% of cumulative gross precipitation (GP) over a 1-year period. Using a regression based method, S averaged similar to 1 mm and 0.1 mm in the leafed and leafless periods, respectively. There were no relationships between tree density and I: GP or S, but I: GP and S increased with leaf area index, canopy cover fraction, basal area, tree height, and diameter at breast height in the leafed period. In addition, wood area index and canopy coverAn understanding of the relationship between canopy structure and the water balance is needed for predicting how forest structure changes affect rainfall partitioning and, consequently, water resources. The objective of this study was to predict rainfall interception (I) and canopy storage capacity (S) using canopy structure variables and to investigate how seasonal changes influence their relationship. The study was conducted in twelve 50 m x 50 m plots in the Zagros forest in the western Iranian state of Ilam, protected forests of Dalab region. Average cumulative I was 84.2mm, accounting for 10.2% of cumulative gross precipitation (GP) over a 1-year period. Using a regression based method, S averaged similar to 1 mm and 0.1 mm in the leafed and leafless periods, respectively. There were no relationships between tree density and I: GP or S, but I: GP and S increased with leaf area index, canopy cover fraction, basal area, tree height, and diameter at breast height in the leafed period. In addition, wood area index and canopy cover fraction were related to I: GP or S in the leafless period. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.…
| Author details: | O. Fathizadeh, Seyed Mehrdad HosseiniORCiDGND, Alexander Zimmermann, R. F. Keim, A. Darvishi Boloorani |
|---|---|
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.05.233 |
| ISSN: | 0048-9697 |
| ISSN: | 1879-1026 |
| Pubmed ID: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28628992 |
| Title of parent work (English): | The science of the total environment : an international journal for scientific research into the environment and its relationship with man |
| Publisher: | Elsevier |
| Place of publishing: | Amsterdam |
| Publication type: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Year of first publication: | 2017 |
| Publication year: | 2017 |
| Release date: | 2020/04/20 |
| Tag: | Canopy storage capacity; Canopy structure; Quercus brantii; Rainfall interception; Zagros forests |
| Volume: | 601 |
| Number of pages: | 14 |
| First page: | 1824 |
| Last Page: | 1837 |
| Funding institution: | Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology (MSRT) of Iran |
| Organizational units: | Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Geowissenschaften |
| Peer review: | Referiert |
| Institution name at the time of the publication: | Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Erd- und Umweltwissenschaften |
