Modelling interception loss from evergreen oak Mediterranean savannas: Application of a tree-based modelling approach

article

Pereira, F.L.
Gash, J.H.C.
David, J.S.
David, T.S.
Monteiro, P.R.
Valente, F.

Pereira, F.L.; Gash, J.H.C.; David, J.S.; David, T.S.; Monteiro, P.R.; Valente, F., 2009. Modelling interception loss from evergreen oak Mediterranean savannas: Application of a tree-based modelling approach. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 149(3-4): 680-688. DOI: 10.1016/j.agrformet.2008.10.014

10.1016/j.agrformet.2008.10.014

Modelling interception loss from evergreen oak Mediterranean savannas: Application of a tree-based modelling approach

Rainfall interception
Rainfall interception
Isolated trees
Savannas
Quercus ilex
Wet bulb temperature
Gash analytical model

This study was supported by research project SAPIENS/FCT No. POCTI/AGG/ 39220/2001 funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia. Funding was also provided by the Conselho de Reitores das Universidades Portuguesas and the British Council under the Treaty of Windsor Programme 2007/08-U27.

2022-02-01T11:18:31Z
2022-02-01T11:18:31Z
2009

In a previous study, it was shown that an isolated, fully saturated tree-crown behaves like a wet bulb, allowing evaporation of intercepted rainfall to be estimated by a simple diffusion equation for water vapour. This observation was taken as the basis for a new approach in modelling interception loss fromsavanna-type woodland, whereby the ecosystem evaporation is derived by scaling up the evaporation from individual trees, rather than by considering a homogeneous forest cover. Interception loss from isolated trees was estimated by combining the aforementioned equation for water vapour flux with Gash’s analytical model. A new methodology, which avoids the subjectivity inherent in the Leyton method, was used for estimating the crown storage capacity. Modelling performance was evaluated against data from two Mediterranean savanna-type oak woodlands (montados) in southern Portugal. Interception loss estimates were in good agreement with observations in both sites. The proposed modelling approach is physically based, requires only a limited amount of data and should be suitable for the modelling of interception loss in isolated trees and savannatype ecosystems.
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