Process-based rainfall interception by small trees in Northern China: The effect of rainfall traits and crown structure characteristics

Li, Xiang; Xiao, Qingfu; Niu, Jianzhi; Dymond, Salli; Doorn, Natalie S. van; Yu, Xinxiao; Xie, Baohua; Lv, Xizhi; Zhang, Kebin; Li, Jiao

doi:10.1016/j.agrformet.2015.11.017

Cited by 83 publications

(92 citation statements)

References 52 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Canopy interception of precipitation is one of the most important (Li et al 2016) hydrological processes in forest ecosystems (Brauman et al 2010). The results of this study suggest that canopy precipitation partitioning in selected urban forests is strongly influenced by tree species composition, canopy cover and growing stock (i.e., tree dimensions) as well as rainfall spatial distribution and intensity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

“…The variables responsible for throughfall and canopy interception partitioning are numerous and complex, stemming from individual canopy characteristics (Li et al 2016), ecoregion (Zimmermann et al 2007), rainfall intensity (Bryant et al 2005;Šraj et al 2008a;Moreno Perez et al 2013), and seasonality (Deguchi et al 2006;Siegert et al 2016). Every forest ecosystem, defined by its tree species composition, structural traits, soil features and microsite conditions, is somehow unique.…”

Section: Canopy Interception In Relation To Stand Structure Of Urban mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Canopy precipitation interception in urban forests in relation to stand structure

Kermavnar

Vilhar

2017

Urban Ecosyst

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Urban forests provide important ecosystem services. In terms of hydrological benefits, forest ecosystems in urban environments represent qualitative and quantitative filter for rainwater. We quantified the canopy interception in relation to urban forest stand structure and rainfall intensity in an urban transect of the mixed (upland) forest in the city centre, towards a riparian pine forest and a floodplain hardwood forest in the City of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Bulk precipitation in open areas and throughfall were measured with fixed rainfall collectors in each forest. Stemflow was estimated from a review of relevant literature. We found that canopy interception in selected urban forests was mainly affected by tree species composition and other stand structure variables, such as canopy cover and tree dimensions. Average annual canopy interception was highest in the mixed forest (18.0% of bulk precipitation), while the riparian pine forest had the lowest level (3.9% of bulk precipitation) and the floodplain hardwood forest had the intermediate level for interception (7.1% of bulk precipitation). The mixed forest exhibited the stand structure factors that contributed to the highest canopy interception among the studied forests: high assemblage of dominant coniferous trees, denser canopy cover and the highest growing stock. Furthermore, rainfall intensity has proven to be an important factor for the seasonal partitioning (comparing the leafed and leafless period) of canopy interception. A better understanding of precipitation interception processes in urban forests is needed to assist urban forest managing and planning, aiming at maximizing canopy interception for the mitigation of stormwater runoff and flooding in urbanized watershed.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Section: Canopy Interception In Relation To Stand Structure Of Urban mentioning

confidence: 99%

Canopy precipitation interception in urban forests in relation to stand structure

Kermavnar

Vilhar

2017

Urban Ecosyst

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The leguminous species investigated here generally had more leaves and smaller distances between leaves (e.g., Lespedeza davurica), likely increasing the water retention ability of plants (Li et al, 2016). This suggested a potential positive correlation between leaf wettability and leaf surface water retention.…”

Section: Relationships Between Leaf Wettability and Surface Water Rmentioning

confidence: 81%

“…The vegetation that intercepts more rainfall may decrease the soil water availability and surface run-off in arid and semiarid environments (Llorens & Domingo, 2007;Zhang et al, 2015). During a rainfall event, canopy water storage is mainly controlled by the rainfall properties such as rainfall amount and intensity and the canopy properties such as leaf area index and canopy projected area (Li et al, 2016;Wang, Zhang, Shao, & Wang, 2013). Leaf wettability may be an additional canopy parameter for explaining the variation of water storage because high hydrophilic species may retain more rainfall and therefore increase interception loss (Holder, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variability in leaf wettability and surface water retention of main species in semiarid Loess Plateau of China

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Leaf wettability, adhesion or repulsion of water drops, varies greatly among species and plays an important role in plant-soil hydrological relations. This study aimed to examine the variability in leaf wettability among species in different habitats and growth periods, and their relationships with plant surface water retention in the semiarid Loess Plateau of China. The leaf adaxial and abaxial contact angles, the surface water retention of leaves and individual plants, and general plant traits of 68 species belonging to 28 families were examined from May to August in 2017. Results showed that leaf water contact angles ranged from 27.3°to 133.4°and leaves with higher contact angles normally had lower variation coefficients. Leaf wettability was affected by internal properties (including leaf side, family, and leaf age) and external conditions (growth period), whereas the life form and slope aspect did not show significant effects. There were 47 species having higher contact angles on adaxial than abaxial surfaces, and the differences were significant in 23 species. Gramineous and leguminous species were more unwettable than compositae and rosaceous species. New leaves were more unwettable than old leaves. Surface wettability increased from May-June to July-August period. Leaf wettability was positively correlated with leaf surface water retention and was the best predictor of individual plant surface water retention compared with other plant traits. Leaf wettability showed interspecific differences associated with family and growth stage and can be a considerable variable in predicting canopy interception and evaluating vegetation hydrological function in drought environments.

show abstract

“…The factors, such as a relatively large LNB (Levia et al, 2015;Li et al, 2016), a large LAB , a high LAI (Liang et al, 2009), a big BML (Yuan et al, 2016), a scale-like leaf arrangement (Owens et al, 2006), a small ILAB (Sellin et al, 2012), a concave leaf shape (Xu et al, 2005), a densely veined leaf structure (Xu et al, 2005), an upward leaf orientation (Crockford and Richardson, 2000), leaf pubescence (Garcia-Estringana et al, 2010) and the leaf epidermis microrelief (e.g., the non-hydrophobic leaf surface and the grooves within it) (Roth-Nebelsick et al, 2012), together resulted in retaining a large amount of precipitation in the canopy, supplying water for stemflow yield and providing a beneficial morphology that enables the leaves to function as a highly efficient natural water collecting and channeling system. According to the documentation at Flora of China (Chao and Gong, 1999;Liu et al, 2010) and the field observations in this study, C. korshinskii had more beneficial leaf morphology for stemflow yield than did S. psammophila, owing to a lanceolate and concave leaf shape, a pinnate compound leaf arrangement and a densely sericeous pressed pubescence (Fig.…”

Section: Effects Of Leaf Traits On Stemflow Yieldmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparisons of stemflow and its bio-/abiotic influential factors between two xerophytic shrub species

Yuan

Gao

2017

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. Stemflow transports nutrient-enriched precipitation to the rhizosphere and functions as an efficient terrestrial flux in water-stressed ecosystems. However, its ecological significance has generally been underestimated because it is relatively limited in amount, and the biotic mechanisms that affect it have not been thoroughly studied at the leaf scale. This study was conducted during the 2014 and 2015 rainy seasons at the northern Loess Plateau of China. We measured the branch stemflow volume (SF b ), shrub stemflow equivalent water depth (SF d ), stemflow percentage of incident precipitation (SF %), stemflow productivity (SFP), funnelling ratio (FR), the meteorological characteristics and the plant traits of branches and leaves of C. korshinskii and S. psammophila. This study evaluated stemflow efficiency for the first time with the combined results of SFP and FR, and sought to determine the inter-and intra-specific differences of stemflow yield and efficiency between the two species, as well as the specific bio-/abiotic mechanisms that affected stemflow. The results indicated that C. korshinskii had a greater stemflow yield and efficiency at all precipitation levels than that of S. psammophila. The largest inter-specific difference generally occurred at the 5-10 mm branches during rains of ≤ 2 mm. Precipitation amount was the most influential meteorological characteristic that affected stemflow yield and efficiency in these two endemic shrub species. Branch angle was the most influential plant trait on FR. For SF b , stem biomass and leaf biomass were the most influential plant traits for C. korshinskii and S. psammophila, respectively. For SFP of these two shrub species, leaf traits (the individual leaf area) and branch traits (branch size and biomass allocation pattern) had a great influence during lighter rains ≤ 10 mm and heavier rains > 15 mm, respectively. The lower precipitation threshold to start stemflow allowed C. korshinskii (0.9 mm vs. 2.1 mm for S. psammophila) to employ more rains to harvest water via stemflow. The beneficial leaf traits (e.g., leaf shape, arrangement, area, amount) might partly explain the greater stemflow production of C. korshinskii. Comparison of SF b between the foliated and manually defoliated shrubs during the 2015 rainy season indicated that the newly exposed branch surface at the defoliated period and the resulting rainfall intercepting effects might be an important mechanism affecting stemflow in the dormant season.

show abstract

Process-based rainfall interception by small trees in Northern China: The effect of rainfall traits and crown structure characteristics

Cited by 83 publications

References 52 publications

Canopy precipitation interception in urban forests in relation to stand structure

Canopy precipitation interception in urban forests in relation to stand structure

Variability in leaf wettability and surface water retention of main species in semiarid Loess Plateau of China

Comparisons of stemflow and its bio-/abiotic influential factors between two xerophytic shrub species

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About