Pereira, Fernando LeiteGash, John H.C.David, Jorge SoaresDavid, Teresa S.Monteiro, Paulo R.Valente, Fernanda2022-02-012022-02-012009Pereira, 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.2008.10.014http://hdl.handle.net/10400.11/7874In 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.engRainfall interceptionRainfall interceptionIsolated treesSavannasQuercus ilexWet bulb temperatureGash analytical modeljournal article10.1016/j.agrformet.2008.10.014