Volume 15, Issue 5 (2013)
JAST 2013, 15(5): 981-994 |
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Motahari M, Attarod P, Pypker T G, Etemad V, Shirvany A. Rainfall Interception in a Pinus eldarica Plantation in a Semi-arid Climate Zone: An Application of the Gash Model. JAST 2013; 15 (5) :981-994
URL: http://jast.modares.ac.ir/article-23-7723-en.html
URL: http://jast.modares.ac.ir/article-23-7723-en.html
1- Department of Forestry and Forest Economics, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Islamic Republic of Iran.
2- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, 49931, USA.
2- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, 49931, USA.
Abstract: (6599 Views)
Forest canopy rainfall interception loss (I), canopy water storage (S), and the ratio of mean evaporation to mean rainfall intensity () are important components of the water balance in arid and semi-arid climate zones. The goal of this project was to quantify I and S and to evaluate the Gash interception model for rainfall interception in a mature semi-arid Pinus eldarica Medw afforestation planted in the Chitgar Forest Park near Tehran city, Iran. Measurements of gross precipitation (PG) and throughfall (TF) were recorded on an event basis from September 2009 to April 2010. For the measurement period, PG totaled 164.8 mm and I totaled 61.2 mm. I was calculated as the difference between PG and TF. On the event scale, the ratio of I:PG ranged between 0.195 and 1, and averaged 0.614. There was a strong logarithmic correlation between I: PG and PG (R2= 0.861; Pvalue≤ 0.01). As the size of rainfall events increased, I:PG decreased. The mean method estimated S to be 1.8 mm. The Gash model accurately estimated I to be within 1.1 mm of the total measured value. The results demonstrate that intercepted rainfall represents a considerable portion of PG in P.eldarica afforested regions of the semi-arid climate zone of Iran where soil moisture is a limiting factor for plant growth and productivity.
Article Type: Research Paper |
Subject:
Forestry
Received: 2012/02/21 | Accepted: 2012/10/10 | Published: 2013/09/1
Received: 2012/02/21 | Accepted: 2012/10/10 | Published: 2013/09/1
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