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Modelling interception loss from evergreen oak Mediterranean savannas: Application of a tree-based modelling approach
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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
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.
Description
Keywords
Rainfall interception Rainfall interception Isolated trees Savannas Quercus ilex Wet bulb temperature Gash analytical model
Citation
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