Rainfall interception loss by Cupressus arizonica and Pinus eldarica in an arid zone afforestaion of Iran (Biyarjomand, Shahroud)

Document Type : Research article

Authors

1 M.Sc. Student of Forestry and Forest Economics, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran

2 Assistant Prof., Forestry and Forest Economics Department, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran

3 Senior Research Expert, Research Center of Agriculture and Natural Resources of Semnan province

4 M.Sc. Student of Environment, Isfahan University of Technology

Abstract

The main aim of the present research was to measure interception (I) by individual trees of Pinus eldarica and Cupressus arizonica that extensively planted in afforestation projects of the arid zone in Iran. The selected trees were located inside a forest plantation in a dry area at Semnan province, where mean annual precipitation and air temperature are 127 mm and 16˚C, respectively. The gross rainfall (GR) was measured by the mean of three hand-made gauges placed in an open area neighboring to the chosen trees. Five individual trees were selected for measurements of throughfall (TF). Eight TF collectors were positioned beneath the tree canopies in the four main directions to average into TF mean per species. I was calculated as the difference between GR and TF for each tree and I was finally averaged into the means of P. eldarica and C. arizonica. Measurements were made on a rainfall event basis during 2009 summer season, from March to October. The cumulative GR depth of 12 events was 37.9 mm; I (P. eldarica): 17.2 mm, and I (C. arizonica):12.3 mm. On the event scale average ratios of I:GR were 68% (1.4 mm per event) and 55% (1 mm per event) for P.eldarica and C.arizonica, respectively. Strong positive correlations were observed between I and GR (P.eldarica, R2=0.94; C.arizonica, R2=0.87). Our measurements suggested that intercepted GR or I:GR ratio by the canopies, and loss through evaporation decreased, as the size of rainfall events increased. The results showed that interception is a significant component of the seasonal water balance in the afforestation of the arid zone of Iran.

Keywords

References

- جزیره‌ای، م. ح.، 1381. جنگل‌کاری در مناطق خشک. انتشارات دانشگاه تهران، 455 صفحه.
- قربانی، س. و رحمانی، ر.، 1387. برآورد اتلاف تاجی، ساقاب و تاج‌بارش در توده طبیعی راش (جنگل شصت‌کلاته). تحقیقات جنگل و صنوبر ایران، 16 (4): 648-638.
- کنشلو، ه.، 1380. جنگل‌کاری در خشکبوم. مؤسسه تحقیقات جنگلها و مراتع کشور، 516 صفحه.
- Ahmadi, M.T., Attarod, P., Marvi Mohadjer, M.R., Rahmani, R. and Fathi, J., 2009. Partitioning rainfall into throughfall, stemflow, and interception loss in an oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) forest during growing season. Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry, 33: 557-568.
- Armstrong, C.L. and Mitchell, J.K., 1987. Transformations of rainfall by plant canopy. Trans. ASAE, 30: 688-696.
- Cao, Y., Ouyang, Z.Y., Zheng, H., Huang, Z.G., Wang, X.K. and Miao, H., 2008. Effects of forest plantation on rainfall redistribution and erosion in the red soil region of Southern China. Land Degradation Development, 19: 321-330.
- Carlyle-Moses, D.E., 2004. Throughfall, stemflow and canopy interception loss fluxes in a semi-arid Sierra Madre oriental matorral community. Journal of Arid Environments, 58: 180-201.
- Chang, M., 2003. Forest Hydrology: An Introduction to Water and Forests. CRC Press, 498 p.
- Crockford, R.H. and Richardson, D.P., 2000. Partitioning of rainfall into throughfall, stemflow, and interception: effect of forest type, ground cover and climate. Hydrological Processes, 14:         2903-2920.
- Deguchi, A., Hattori, S. and Park, H., 2005. The influence of seasonal changes in canopy structure on interception loss: application of the revised Gash model. Journal of Hydrology, 319: 80-102.
- Gómez, J.A., Giraldez, J.V. and Fereres, E., 2001. Rainfall interception by olive trees in relation to leaf area. Agricultural Water Management, 49:   65-76.
- Green, S.R., 1993. Radiation balance, transpiration and photosynthesis of an isolated tree. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 64: 201-221.
- Herbst, M., Roberts, J.M. and Rosier, P.T.W. and Gowing, D.J., 2006. Measuring and modeling the rainfall interception loss by hedgerows in southern England. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 141: 244-256.
- Huttel, R.F., Schneider, B.U. and Farrell, E.P., 2000. Forests of the temperate region: gaps in knowledge and research needs. Forest Ecology and Management, 132: 83-96.
- Iroumé, A. and Huber, A., 2002. Comparison of interception losses in a broadleaved native forest and a Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas fir) plantation in the AndesMountains of southern Chile. Hydrological Processes, 16: 2347-2361.
- Johnson, R.C., 1990. The interception, throughfall and stemflow in a forest in Highland Scotland and the comparison with other upland forests in the U.K.. Journal of Hydrology, 118: 281-287.
- Koichiro, K., Yuri, T., Nobuaki, T. and Isamu, K., 2001. Generation of stemflow volume and chemistry in a mature Japanese cypress forest. Hydrological Processes, 15: 1967-1978.
- Llorens, P., Poch, R., Latron, J. and Gallart, F., 1997. Rainfall interception by a Pinus sylvestris forest patch overgrown in a Mediterranean mountainous abandoned area. I. Monitoring design and results down to the event scale. Journal of Hydrology, 199: 331-345.
- Mahendrappa, M.K., 1990. Partitioning of rainwater and chemicals into throughfall and stemflow in different forest stands. Forest Ecology and Management, 30: 65-72.
- Mitchell, D.J., Fullen, M.A., Trueman, I.C. and Fearnehough, W., 1998. Sustainability of reclaimed desertified land in Ningxia, China. Journal of Arid Environments, 39: 239-251.
- Owens, M.K., Lyons, K.R. and Alegandro, C.L., 2006. Rainfall partitioning within semiarid juniper communities: effects of event size and canopy cover. Hydrological Processes, 20: 3179-3189.
- Price, A.G., Dunham, K., Carleton, T. and Band, L., 1997. Variability of water fluxes through the black spruce (Picea mariana) canopy and feather moss (Pleurozium schreberi) carpet in the boreal forest of Northern Manitoba. Journal of Hydrology, 196: 310-323.
- Rowe, L.K., 1983. Rainfall interception by an evergreen beech forest, Nelson, New Zealand. Journal of Hydrology, 66: 143-258.
- Samba, S.A.N., Camire, C. and Margolis, H.A., 2001. Allometry and rainfall interception of Cordyla pinnata in a semi-arid agroforestry parkland, Senegal. Forest Ecology and Management, 154: 277-288.
- Schowalter T.D., 1999. Throughfall volume and chemistry as affected by precipitation volume, sapling size, and defoliation intensity. Great Basin Naturalist, 59: 79-84.
- Shachnovich, Y., Berliner, P.R. and Bar, P., 2008. Rainfall interception throughfall in a pine forest planted in an arid zone. Journal of Hydrology, 349: 168-177.
- Silva, I.C. and Rodriguez, H.G., 2001. Interception loss, throughfall and stemflow chemistry in pine and oak forests in northeastern Mexico. Tree Physiology, 21: 1009-1013.
- Sraj, M., Brilly, M. and Mikos, M., 2008. Rainfall interception by two deciduous Mediterranean forests of contrasting stature in Slovenia. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 148:        121-134.
- Staelens, J.A.D., Schrijver, K.V. and Verhoest, N., 2008. Rainfall partitioning into throughfall, stemflow, and interception within a single beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) canopy: influence of foliation, rain event characteristics, and meteorology. Hydrological Processes, 22: 33-45.
- Watanabe, T. and Mizutani, K., 1996. Model study on micrometeorological aspects of rainfall interception over an evergreen broad-leaved forest. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 80: 195-214.
- Xiao, Q.F., McPherson, E.G., Ustin, S.L., Grismer, M.E. and Simpson, J.R., 2000. Winter rainfall interception by two mature open-grown trees in Davis, California. Hydrological Processes, 14:  763-784.

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics