Influence of raindrop size distribution on throughfall dynamics under pine and birch trees at the rainfall event level

Katarina Kavčič (Author), Jože Rakovec (Author), Matjaž Mikoš (Author), Mojca Šraj (Author)

Abstract

Part of precipitation is intercepted by forest canopies, while the rest reaches the ground as throughfall or stemflow. This process is influenced by various meteorological variables, of which we have mainly focused on drop diameter and velocity. Rainfall in the open and throughfall under birch and pine trees have both been measured since 2014 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The results demonstrate that the total throughfall during 3.5 years was 73% and 53% of rainfall under birch and pine trees, respectively. During the 236 analysed events, the median volume diameter was 1.8 mm (%1.7 mm), and kinetic energy between 0.01 mJ/cm2 and 23.3 mJ/cm2 was recorded. We closely analysed the effect of rainfall microstructure on throughfall under pine and birch trees during three specific rainfall events. The increase in drop diameter and fall velocity during a rainfall event instantaneously increased throughfall under pine trees between 25% and 47%, whereas no such changes were observed under birch trees. This may be the consequence of different tree properties of the two species. Additionally, in the case of a saturated canopy, throughfall under pine trees exceeded rainfall in the open after an onset of larger and faster drops.

Keywords

hidrologija;padavine;prestrežne padavine;prepuščene padavine;porazdelitev velikosti kapljic;hitrost kapljic;breza;bor;Slovenija;hydrology;rainfall;rainfall interception;throughfall;raindrop size distribution;drop velocity;birch;pine;Slovenia;

Data

Language:	English
Year of publishing:	2017
Typology:	1.01 - Original Scientific Article
Organization:	UL FGG - Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering
UDC:	556.1
COBISS:	8231265
ISSN:	2073-4433
Views:	189
Downloads:	70
Average score:	0 (0 votes)
Metadata:

Other data

Secondary language:	Slovenian
Secondary keywords:	hidrologija;padavine;prestrežne padavine;prepuščene padavine;porazdelitev velikosti kapljic;hitrost kapljic;breza;bor;Slovenija;
Type (COBISS):	Article
Pages:	str. 1-15
Volume:	ǂissue ǂ12
Issue:	ǂVol.ǂ 8
Chronology:	dec. 2017
DOI:	10.3390/atmos8120240
ID:	13500707