TY - JOUR
T1 - Process-based rainfall interception by small trees in Northern China
T2 - The effect of rainfall traits and crown structure characteristics
AU - Li, Xiang
AU - Xiao, Qingfu
AU - Niu, Jianzhi
AU - Dymond, Salli
AU - van Doorn, Natalie S.
AU - Yu, Xinxiao
AU - Xie, Baoyuan
AU - Lv, Xizhi
AU - Zhang, Kebin
AU - Li, Jiao
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2016/3/15
Y1 - 2016/3/15
N2 - Rainfall interception by a tree's crown is one of the most important hydrological processes in an ecosystem, yet the mechanisms of interception are not well understood. A process-based experiment was conducted under five simulated rainfall intensities (from 10 to 150mmh-1) to directly quantify tree crown interception and examine the effect of rainfall traits and crown structure characteristics on interception for broadleaf (Platycladus orientalis, Pinus tabulaeformis) and needle tree species (Quercus variabilis, Acer truncatum). Results indicated that (1) the interception process was composed of three phases, a rapid increase phase which accounted for approximately 90% of the maximum interception storage (Cmax), a relatively-stable phase, and a post-rainfall drainage phase in which 40% (±16%) of Cmax drained off to reach the minimum interception storage (Cmin); (2) Cmax and Cmin were only correlated with rainfall intensity for P. tabulaeformis; (3) Cmax and Cmin were correlated with both leaf traits (i.e., leaf area, leaf biomass, leaf morphology) and branch traits (i.e., branch density, branch count, branch length, woody surface area, and woody biomass), and the best predictors of Cmax and Cmin were biomass-related parameters; and (4) The needle species P. orientalis had the greatest Cmax, while the largest Cmin was observed in the broadleaf species A. truncatum. Our findings demonstrate the complexity of the interception process and tree characteristics may be more important in controlling interception than rainfall characteristics.
AB - Rainfall interception by a tree's crown is one of the most important hydrological processes in an ecosystem, yet the mechanisms of interception are not well understood. A process-based experiment was conducted under five simulated rainfall intensities (from 10 to 150mmh-1) to directly quantify tree crown interception and examine the effect of rainfall traits and crown structure characteristics on interception for broadleaf (Platycladus orientalis, Pinus tabulaeformis) and needle tree species (Quercus variabilis, Acer truncatum). Results indicated that (1) the interception process was composed of three phases, a rapid increase phase which accounted for approximately 90% of the maximum interception storage (Cmax), a relatively-stable phase, and a post-rainfall drainage phase in which 40% (±16%) of Cmax drained off to reach the minimum interception storage (Cmin); (2) Cmax and Cmin were only correlated with rainfall intensity for P. tabulaeformis; (3) Cmax and Cmin were correlated with both leaf traits (i.e., leaf area, leaf biomass, leaf morphology) and branch traits (i.e., branch density, branch count, branch length, woody surface area, and woody biomass), and the best predictors of Cmax and Cmin were biomass-related parameters; and (4) The needle species P. orientalis had the greatest Cmax, while the largest Cmin was observed in the broadleaf species A. truncatum. Our findings demonstrate the complexity of the interception process and tree characteristics may be more important in controlling interception than rainfall characteristics.
KW - Branch density
KW - Leaf area
KW - Post-rainfall drainage
KW - Rainfall intensity
KW - Rainfall interception storage
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U2 - 10.1016/j.agrformet.2015.11.017
DO - 10.1016/j.agrformet.2015.11.017
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84954112281
SN - 0168-1923
VL - 218-219
SP - 65
EP - 73
JO - Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
JF - Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
ER -