Spatial variability and temporal stability of throughfall water under a dominant beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) tree in relationship to canopy cover

Although the spatial heterogeneity of throughfall water (TF) under forest canopies has been related to vegetation structure in several forest types, few reports have been made of the driving factors of small-scale TF variability in deciduous stands. Therefore, the spatial variability of the amount of TF water under one dominant beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) tree was quantified in high temporal and spatial resolution over a 2-year period to examine the temporal stability of spatial TF variability and to relate spatial TF patterns to canopy cover determined photographically above each TF collector (n = 48). The spatial variability of TF was significantly higher during the leafed periods (coefficient of variation (CV) = 18%) than during the leafless periods (CV = 8%), and a strong negative relationship was observed between the CV of event TF and the TF fraction of rainfall in the open field. Geostatistical analysis showed that the cumulative TF water during the leafed periods was spatially correlated up to a distance of 3–4 m. There was a significant temporal stability of spatial TF patterns in the growing periods and in the dormant periods, but patterns differed largely between the two periods of the year. TF water during the growing periods significantly decreased with increasing canopy cover above the sampling locations (r = −0.54, p = 0.014, n = 20), but was more closely correlated with branch cover (r = −0.77, p < 0.001). However, the spatial pattern of TF during defoliated conditions was not related to the measured variation in branch cover.     

Influence of forest and shrub canopies on precipitation partitioning and isotopic signatures

Over a 4‐month summer period, we monitored how forest (Pinus sylvestris ) and heather moorland (Calluna spp. and Erica spp.) vegetation canopies altered the volume and isotopic composition of net precipitation (NP) in a southern boreal landscape in northern Scotland. During that summer period, interception losses were relatively high and higher under forests compared to moorland (46% of gross rainfall [GR] compared with 35%, respectively). Throughfall (TF) volumes exhibited marked spatial variability in forests, depending upon local canopy density, but were more evenly distributed under heather moorland. In the forest stands, stemflow was a relatively small canopy flow path accounting for only 0.9–1.6% of NP and only substantial in larger events. Overall, the isotopic composition of NP was not markedly affected by canopy interactions; temporal variation of stable water isotopes in TF closely corresponded to that of GR with differences of TF‐GR being ?0.52‰ for δ²H and ?0.14‰ for δ¹⁸O for forests and 0.29‰ for δ²H and ?0.04‰ for δ¹⁸O for heather moorland. These differences were close to, or within, analytical precision of isotope determination, though the greater differences under forest were statistically significant. Evidence for evaporative fractionation was generally restricted to low rainfall volumes in low intensity events, though at times, subtle effects of liquid–vapour moisture exchange and/or selective transmission though canopies were evident. Fractionation and other effects were more evident in stemflow but only marked in smaller events. The study confirmed earlier work that increased forest cover in the Scottish Highlands will likely cause an increase in interception and green water fluxes at the expenses of blue water fluxes to streams. However, the low‐energy, humid environment means that isotopic changes during such interactions will only have a minor overall effect on the isotopic composition of NP.     

Characterization of differential throughfall drop size distributions beneath European beech and Norway spruce

Forest canopies present irregular surfaces that alter both the quantity and spatiotemporal variability of precipitation inputs. The drop size distribution (DSD) of rainfall varies with rainfall event characteristics and is altered substantially by the forest stand properties. Yet, the influence of two major European tree species, European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst), on throughfall DSD is largely unknown. In order to assess the impact of these two species with differing canopy structures on throughfall DSD, two optical disdrometers, one above and one below the canopy of each European beech and Norway spruce, measured DSD of both incident rainfall and throughfall over 2 months at a 10‐s resolution. Fractions of different throughfall categories were analysed for single‐precipitation events of different intensities. While penetrating the canopies, clear shifts in drop size and temporal distributions of incoming rainfall were observed. Beech and spruce, however, had different DSD, behaved differently in their effect on diameter volume percentiles as well as width of drop spectrum. The maximum drop sizes under beech were higher than under spruce. The mean ± standard deviation of the median volume drops size (D50) over all rain events was 2.7 ± 0.28 mm for beech and 0.80 ± 0.04 mm for spruce, respectively. In general, there was a high‐DSD variability within events indicating varying amounts of the different throughfall fractions. These findings help to better understand the effects of different tree species on rainfall partitioning processes and small‐scale variations in subcanopy rainfall inputs, thereby demonstrating the need for further research in high‐resolution spatial and temporal properties of rainfall and throughfall.     

Estimation of vertical profiles of leaf drying times after daytime rainfall within a Bornean tropical rainforest

South‐east Asian Bornean tropical rainforests have large and complex canopy structures. To clarify how forest structure affects wet‐canopy evaporation, it is necessary to consider wet‐canopy evaporation processes within the forest canopy, such as vertical profiles of canopy drying time. In a previous study a method was proposed that utilizes sap flow measurements to estimate canopy drying time after rainfall (CDTobs) during daytime. In this present study, the method was applied to estimations of the vertical variations in CDTobs in 11 individual trees of various heights, ranging from 2·7 m to 53 m. The study derived vertical profiles and showed that the lengths of CDTobs in lower canopy trees were 2–4 h longer than those in the upper canopy trees. The new method for CDTobs profiles presented in this study, which is available for validation of multi‐layer biosphere‐atmospheric models, is a useful illustration for clarifying wet‐canopy evaporation processes in tropical rainforests. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparison of tree transpiration under wet and dry canopy conditions in a Costa Rican premontane tropical forest

Spatial and temporal variation in wet canopy conditions following precipitation events can influence processes such as transpiration and photosynthesis, which can be further enhanced as upper canopy leaves dry more rapidly than the understory following each event. As part of a larger study aimed at improving land surface modelling of evapotranspiration processes in wet tropical forests, we compared transpiration among trees with exposed and shaded crowns under both wet and dry canopy conditions in central Costa Rica, which has an average 4200 mm annual rainfall. Transpiration was estimated for 5 months using 43 sap flux sensors in eight dominant, ten midstory and eight suppressed trees in a mature forest stand surrounding a 40‐m tower equipped with micrometeorological sensors. Dominant trees were 13% of the plot's trees and contributed around 76% to total transpiration at this site, whereas midstory and suppressed trees contributed 18 and 5%, respectively. After accounting for vapour pressure deficit and solar radiation, leaf wetness was a significant driver of sap flux, reducing it by as much as 28%. Under dry conditions, sap flux rates (J_s) of dominant trees were similar to midstory trees and were almost double that of suppressed trees. On wet days, all trees had similarly low J_s. As expected, semi‐dry conditions (dry upper canopy) led to higher J_s in dominant trees than midstory, which had wetter leaves, but semi‐dry conditions only reduced total stand transpiration slightly and did not change the relative proportion of transpiration from dominant and midstory. Therefore, models that better capture forest stand wet–dry canopy dynamics and individual tree water use strategies are needed to improve accuracy of predictions of water recycling over tropical forests. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of canopy openness and meteorological factors on spatial variability of throughfall isotopic composition in a Japanese cypress plantation

Spatial variability of throughfall (TF) isotopic composition, used as tracer input, influences isotope hydrological applications in forested watersheds. Notwithstanding, identification of the dominant canopy factors and processes that affect the patterns of TF isotopic variability remains ambiguous. Here, we examined the spatio‐temporal variability of TF isotopic composition in a Japanese cypress plantation, in which intensive strip thinning was performed and investigated whether canopy structure at a fine resolution of canopy effect analysis is related to TF isotopic composition and how this is affected by meteorological factors. Canopy openness, as an index of canopy structure, was calculated from hemispherical photographs at different zenith angles. TF samples were collected in a 10 × 10 m experimental plot in both pre‐thinning (from July to November 2010) and post‐thinning (from May 2012 to March 2013) periods. Our results show that thinning resulted in a smaller alteration of input δ¹⁸O of gross precipitation, whereas the changes in deuterium excess varied in both directions. Despite the temporal stability of spatial patterns in TF amount, the spatial variability of TF isotopic composition was not temporally stable in both pre‐ and post‐thinning periods. Additionally, after thinning, the isotopic composition of TF was best related to canopy openness calculated at the zenith angle of 7°, exhibiting three different relationships, that is, significantly negative, significantly positive, and nonsignificant. Changes in meteorological factors (wind speed, rainfall intensity, and temperature) were found to affect the relationships between TF δ¹⁸O and canopy openness. The observed shifts in the relationships reveal different dominant factors (partial evaporation and the selection), and canopy water flowpaths control such differences. This study provides useful insights into the spatial variability of TF isotopic composition and improves our understanding of the physical processes of interception through canopy passage.     

Interception losses in three non‐native Hawaiian forest stands

Interception losses in stands of non‐native trees in Hawaiian forests and their potential negative impacts on fresh water availability are poorly understood. In this study, a canopy water balance analysis was conducted to estimate interception losses using measurements of rainfall (RF), throughfall (TF), and stemflow (SF) at three locations, each dominated by one or more of the following non‐native tree species: Psidium cattleianum Sabine (Strawberry guava), Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (Christmas berry), Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels (Java plum), and Coffea arabica L. (Coffee). Mean TF expressed as percentage of total RF was the lowest (43.3%) under a monotypic stand of P. cattleianum and the highest (56.5%) under mixture of S. terebinthifolius, P. cattleianum, and S. cumini. Observed SF was highest (33.9%) under P. cattleianum and lowest (3.6%) under a mixture of S. terebinthifolius, P. cattleianum, and S. cumini. The relatively high SF under P. cattleianum can be attributed to its smooth bark, stem density, and steep branching. The mean observed canopy interception varied between 23% under P. cattleianum and 45% at the site dominated by C. arabica. Mean direct TF coefficients from individual events at each location ranged from a low of 0.36 under the canopy dominated by C. arabica to a high of 0.51 under the canopy dominated by S. terebinthifolius, P. cattleianum, and S. cumini. In contrast, the mean SF partitioning coefficients from individual storm events at each location ranged from a low of 0.05 under the canopy dominated by S. terebinthifolius, P. cattleianum, and S. cumini to a high of 0.37 under P. cattleianum. Mean canopy storage capacity was highest (1.90) at the site dominated by S. terebinthifolius, P. cattleianum, and S. cumini whereas trunk storage capacity was highest (0.54) under the P. cattleianum. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial variability and temporal stability of throughfall in a eucalyptus plantation in the hilly lowlands of southeastern Brazil

Throughfall has been widely studied in forests but there is a scarcity of studies that focus on the spatial variability and temporal stability of throughfall in eucalyptus plantations. We examined throughfall in a daily basis in a 2·5‐year eucalyptus plantation in southeastern Brazil using three sample arrangements: (1) close to tree trunks (CT) and in the central point between trunks (BT), (2) four‐radial layout centred in tree trunk and (3) eight‐radial layout. Throughfall was spatially non‐uniform and varied according to the spatial monitoring arrangement: accumulated throughfall/precipitation ratio of 146% (CT) and 85% (BT) in arrangement 1, mean throughfall of 88% in arrangement 2, 84% (hilltop) and 85% (side slope) in arrangement 3. The highest throughfall values, spatial variability and persistence of dry and wet conditions were found close to eucalyptus trunks. Often accumulated throughfall close to trunks exceeded rainfall, especially for long‐duration rainfall > 5 mm. The ‘funnel effect’ was consistently observed in all three arrangements and we speculate that the high throughfall concentration and temporal stability are related to canopy structures of eucalyptus. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of canopy density on snow distribution in a temperate mountain range

We analyse spatial variability and different evolution patterns of snowpack in a mixed beech–fir stand in the central Pyrenees. Snow depth and density were surveyed weekly along six transects of contrasting forest cover during a complete accumulation and melting season; we also surveyed a sector unaffected by canopy cover. Forest density was measured using the sky view factor (SVF) obtained from digital hemispherical photographs. During periods of snow accumulation and melting, noticeable differences in snow depth and density were found between the open site and those areas covered by forest canopy. Principal component analysis provided valuable information in explaining these observations. The results indicate a high variability in snow accumulation within forest areas related to differences in canopy density. Maximum snow water equivalent (SWE) was reduced by more than 50% beneath dense canopies compared with clearings, and this difference increased during the melting period. We also found significant temporal variations: when melting began in sectors with low SVF, most of the snow had already thawed in areas with high SVF. However, specific conditions occasionally produced a different response of SWE to forest cover, with lower melting rates observed beneath dense canopies. The high values of correlation coefficients for SWE and SVF (r > 0·9) indicate the reliability of predicting the spatial distribution of SWE in forests when only a moderate number of observations are available. Digital hemispherical photographs provide an appropriate tool for this type of analysis, especially for zenith angles in the range 35–55 . Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Impacts of forest structure on precipitation interception and run‐off generation in a semiarid region in northern China

Water resource scarcity and uneven distribution are 2 major environmental issues in China today. Forest structure is a dominant factor that influences hydrological processes, but the specific interactions remain uncertain due to the predominant use of individual or 1‐dimensional forest structure metrics in previous studies. In this study, forest structures in 8 run‐off plots on Mount Miaofeng in north China were parameterized by metrics of different dimensionalities. The relation between canopy interception and forest structure, shrub/litter interception, and forest structure as well as run‐off and forest structure were analysed by regression method and validated by leave‐one‐out cross test. The results showed that canopy interception rates ranged from less than 0.10 all the way to 0.80, affected by forest structure and precipitation, with interception rate decreasing logarithmically as precipitation increased. Forests with a larger canopy area (CA), leaf area index (LAI), and higher average height (H) had a narrow range of canopy interception rates, and forest with larger value of diameters at breath height (DBH), H, LAI, vertical heterogeneity coefficient (T), and structure complexity index (SCI) had higher interception rates. Forests with higher value of DBH, H, and horizontal heterogeneity coefficient (R) had higher shrub/litter interception rates on the forest floor. The run‐off coefficient was only significantly associated with LAI, T, and SCI. The validation test indicated that regression analysis of canopy interception rates and shrub interception are reliable and SCI is a key factor to influence the run‐off coefficient. However, the regression results of litter interception have a relatively large error. According to the results, to reduce the risks of the landslides and floods, forest managers should complicate the canopy and preserve trees with thicker stems and larger canopies. By contrast, to obtain more water resource from run‐off in arid regions, forest managers should harvest trees with large canopies and construct complex vertical structures by intermediate cutting.     

Spatial variability of throughfall and stemflow in an exotic pine plantation of subtropical coastal Australia

Large‐scale exotic pine plantations have been developed for timber production in subtropical Australia. Few studies investigate the spatial variability of both throughfall and stemflow in such managed pine plantations despite their acknowledged effects on the heterogeneity of hydrological and biochemical processes of forested ecosystems. To examine the spatial variability of rainfall under a 12‐year‐old pine plantation in a subtropical coastal area of Australia, we observed gross rainfall, throughfall and stemflow over a 1‐year period. Our results show that the spatial variability of gross rainfall within a 50 m × 50 m plot is minimal. Throughfall is significantly different among three tree zones (midway between rows, west and east side of trunks), particularly for rainfall <50 mm, with the highest throughfall on the east side of the tree trunks (sum = 85% of gross rainfall) and the lowest in the midway between tree rows (sum = 68% of gross rainfall). These spatial patterns persist among 84% of recorded rainfall events. Spatial variability and time stability of throughfall are better explained by canopy interception of the inclined rainfall resulting from the prevailing easterly wind direction throughout the experiment. The annual stemflow is different among individual sample trees, which is mainly ascribed to the difference in tree size (e.g. projected canopy area and stem diameter). The outcomes of this study would help future investigators better design appropriate sampling strategies in these pine plantations under similar climate conditions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Understory and small trees contribute importantly to stemflow of a lower montane cloud forest

Stemflow (Sf) measurements in tropical rain and montane forests dominated by large trees rarely include the understory and small trees. In this study, contributions of lower (1‐ to 2‐m height) and upper (>2‐m height and <5‐cm diameter at breast height [DBH]) woody understory, small trees (5 < DBH < 10 cm), and canopy trees (>10‐cm DBH) to Sf per unit ground area (Sf_a) of a Mexican lower montane cloud forest were quantified for 32 days with rainfall (P) during the 2014 wet season. Rainfall, stemflow yield (Sf_y), vegetation height, density, and basal area were measured. Subsequently, stemflow funneling ratios (SFRs) were calculated, and three common methods to scale up Sf_y from individual trees to the stand level (tree‐Sf_y correlation, P‐Sf_y correlation, and mean‐Sf_y extrapolation) were used to calculate Sf_a. Understory woody plants, small trees, and upper canopy trees represented 96%, 2%, and 2%, respectively, of the total density. Upper canopy trees had the lowest SFRs (1.6 ± 0.5 Standard Error (SE) on average), although the lower understory had the highest (36.1 ± 6.4). Small trees and upper understory presented similar SFRs (22.9 ± 5.4 and 20.2 ± 3.9, respectively). Different Sf scaling methods generally yielded similar results. Overall Sf_a during the study period was 22.7 mm (4.5% of rainfall), to which the understory contributed 70.1% (15.9 mm), small trees 10.6% (2.4 mm), and upper canopy trees 19.3% (4.4 mm). Our results strongly suggest that for humid tropical forests with dense understory of woody plants and small trees, Sf of these groups should be measured to avoid an underestimation of overall Sf at the stand level.     

Fine‐scale spatial variability of throughfall amount and isotopic composition under a hardwood forest canopy

Stable isotopes of water can give clues to the physical processes of forest canopy interception. We examined whether fine‐scale canopy structure is related to throughfall amount and isotopic variation by intensively quantifying both throughfall and canopy structure in a broadleaf, deciduous forest in Louisiana, USA. Local throughfall amount was correlated with canopy structure quantified as distance to the nearest tree, local crown coverage, and local crown length; isotopic composition was also correlated with the same variables but weakly. Spatial patterns of throughfall amount showed some consistency across storms, but spatial patterns of stable isotopes were much weaker and inconsistent. Spatial autocorrelation was consistent in throughfall amount across events, which suggests fixed controls over patterning of throughfall to the forest floor by the canopy. In contrast, lower spatial and temporal autocorrelation in isotopic composition suggested temporally varying controls over patterning, and that routing through the canopy, intra‐storm isotopic variation of rainfall, isotopic exchange, and evaporation interacted to affect the stable isotopic composition. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Rainfall partitioning through a mixed cedar swamp and associated C and N fluxes in Southern Ontario,Canada

Partitioning of rainfall through a forest canopy into throughfall, stemflow, and canopy interception is a critical process in the water cycle, and the contact of precipitation with vegetated surfaces leads to increased delivery of solutes to the forest floor. This study investigates the rainfall partitioning over a growing season through a temperate, riparian, mixed coniferous‐deciduous cedar swamp, an ecosystem not well studied with respect to this process. Seasonal throughfall, stemflow, and interception were 69.2%, 1.5%, and 29.3% of recorded above‐canopy precipitation, respectively. Event throughfall ranged from a low of 31.5 ± 6.8% for a small 0.8‐mm event to a high of 82.9 ± 2.4% for a large 42.7‐mm event. Rain fluxes of at least 8 mm were needed to generate stemflow from all instrumented trees. Most trees had funnelling ratios <1.0, with an exponential decrease in funnelling ratio with increasing tree size. Despite this, stand‐scale funnelling ratios averaged 2.81 ± 1.73, indicating equivalent depth of water delivered across the swamp floor by stemflow was greater than incident precipitation. Throughfall dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) averaged 26.60 ± 2.96 and 2.02 ± 0.16 mg L^?1, respectively, which were ~11 and three times above‐canopy rain levels. Stemflow DOC averaged 73.33 ± 7.43 mg L^?1, 35 times higher than precipitation, and TDN was 4.45 ± 0.56 mg L^?1, 7.5 times higher than rain. Stemflow DOC concentration was highest from Populus balsamifera and TDN greatest from Thuja occidentalis trees. Although total below‐canopy flux of TDN increased with increasing event size, DOC flux was greatest for events 20–30 mm, suggesting a canopy storage threshold of DOC was readily diluted. In addition to documenting rainfall partitioning in a novel ecosystem, this study demonstrates the excess carbon and nitrogen delivered to riparian swamps, suggesting the assimilative capacity of these zones may be underestimated.     

Spatial and temporal variability of canopy and forest floor interception in a beech forest

Depending on season, rainfall characteristics and tree species, interception amounts to 15–50% of total precipitation in a forest under temperate climates. Many studies have investigated the importance of interception of different tree species in all kinds of different climates. Often authors merely determine interception storage capacity of that specific species and the considered event, and only sometimes a distinction is made between foliated and non‐foliated trees. However, interception is highly variable in time and space. First, since potential evaporation is higher in summer, but secondly because the storage capacity has a seasonal pattern. Besides weather characteristics, such as wind and rain intensity, snow causes large variations in the maximum storage capacity. In an experimental beech plot in Luxembourg, we found storage capacity of canopy interception to show a clear seasonal pattern varying from 0·1 mm in winter to 1·2 mm in summer. The capacity of the forest floor appears to be rather constant over time at 1·8 mm. Both have a standard deviation as high as ± 100%. However, the process is not sensitive to this variability resulting only in 11% variation of evaporation estimates. Hence, the number of raindays and the potential evaporation are stronger driving factors on interception. Furthermore, the spatial correlation of the throughfall and infiltration has been investigated with semi‐variograms and time stability plots. Within 6–7 m distance, throughfall and infiltration are correlated and the general persistence is rather weak. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Exploring debris‐flow history and process dynamics using an integrative approach on a dolomitic cone in western Austria

The evolution of a debris‐flow cone depends on a multitude of factors in the hydrogeomorphic system. Investigations of debris‐flow history and cone dynamics in highly active catchments therefore require an integrative approach with a temporal and spatial resolution appropriate for the goals of the study. We present the use of an orthophoto time series to augment standard dendrogeomorphic techniques to describe the spatio‐temporal dynamics of debris flows on a highly active cone in the western Austrian Alps. Analysis of seven orthophotos since 1951 revealed a migration of active deposition areas with a resulting severe loss of forest cover (> 80%) and a mean tree loss per year of 10·4 (range 1·3–16·6 trees per year). Analysis of 193 Pinus mugo ssp. uncinata trees allowed the identification of 161 growth disturbances corresponding to 16 debris flows since 1839 and an average decadal frequency of 0·9 events. As a result of the severe loss of forest cover, we speculate that < 20% of the more recent events were actually captured in the tree‐ring record, giving a decadal return interval of ~7·5 events for a period of 60 years. Based on three annual field observations, it is evident that this catchment (the Bärenrüfe) produces very frequent (< 1 yr), small (in the order of a few 10 to 100 m³) debris flows with minor material relocation. The specific challenges of tree‐ring analysis in this tree species and in highly active environments are explicitly addressed in the discussion and underline the necessity of employing complementary methods of analysis in an integrative manner. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparison of interception,forest floor evaporation and transpiration in Pinus radiata and Eucalyptus globulus plantations

Studies of evapotranspiration (ET) processes in forests often only measure one component of total ET, most commonly interception. This study examined all three components of annual ET (interception, evaporation from the forest floor and transpiration) and the correlations between them at 18 plantation forest sites in two species. All plantations had closed canopies, and sparse or no understorey. Single‐sided leaf area index averaged 3.5 (standard deviation ±0.5) in Eucalyptus globulus Labill. and 6.1 (±0.8) in Pinus radiata D.Don. Measurements included annual totals of rainfall in the open and under the canopy, stem flow (four sites only), evaporation from the forest floor and transpiration by the overstorey. Interception (I) averaged 19% (±4.9) of annual rainfall in E. globulus compared with 31% (±11.1) in P. radiata. However, higher annual interception in P. radiata did not result in higher total ET because annual evaporation from the forest floor (E) averaged 29% (±4.9) of rainfall in E. globulus but only 15% (±3.5) in P. radiata. Hence, the relative contribution of annual I plus E to ET did not differ significantly between the two species, averaging 48% (±7.3) of annual rainfall in E. globulus compared with 46% (±11.8) in P. radiata. As reported previously, transpiration did not differ significantly between the two species either, but was strongly related to depth‐to‐groundwater. In closed canopy plantations, mean annual ET did not differ between the two species. We conclude that when grown in plantations under similar soil and climatic conditions, conifer and broad‐leaved tree species can have similar annual ET, once the canopy of the plantation has closed. Lower average annual interception in broad‐leaved trees was offset by higher soil evaporation. These results highlight the importance of measuring all components of ET in studies of vegetation water use. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Enhanced application of root‐reinforcement algorithms for bank‐stability modeling

Riparian vegetation is known to exert a number of mechanical and hydrologic controls on bank stability. In particular, plant roots provide mechanical reinforcement to a soil matrix due to the different responses of soils and roots to stress. Root reinforcement is largely a function of the strength of the roots crossing potential shear planes, and the number and diameter of such roots. However, previous bank stability models have been constrained by limited field data pertaining to the spatial and temporal variability of root networks within stream banks. In this paper, a method is developed to use root‐architecture data to derive parameters required for modeling temporal and spatial changes in root reinforcement. Changes in root numbers over time were assumed to follow a sigmoidal curve, which commonly represents the growth rates of organisms. Regressions for numbers of roots crossing potential shear planes over time showed small variations between species during the juvenile growth phase, but extrapolation led to large variations in root numbers by the time the senescent phase of the sigmoidal growth curve had been reached. In light of potential variability in the field data, the mean number of roots crossing a potential shear plane at each year of tree growth was also calculated using data from all species and an additional sigmoidal regression was run. After 30 years the mean number of roots predicted to cross a 1 m shear plane was 484, compared with species‐specific curves whose values ranged from 240 roots for black willow trees to 890 roots for western cottonwood trees. In addition, the effect of spatial variations in rooting density with depth on stream‐bank stability was modeled using the bank stability and toe erosion model (BSTEM). Three root distributions, all approximating the same average root reinforcement (5 kPa) over the top 1 m of the bank profile, were modeled, but with differing vertical distributions (concentrated near surface, non‐linear decline with depth, uniform over top meter). It was found that stream‐bank F_S varied the most when the proportion of the failure plane length to the depth of the rooting zone was greatest. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Regional scale spatial and temporal variability of soil moisture in a prairie region

Understanding the dynamics of spatial and temporal variability of soil moisture at the regional scale and daily interval, respectively, has important implications for remote sensing calibration and validation missions as well as environmental modelling applications. The spatial and temporal variability of soil moisture was investigated in an agriculturally dominated region using an in‐situ soil moisture network located in central Saskatchewan, Canada. The study site evaluated three depths (5, 20, 50 cm) through 139 days producing a high spatial and temporal resolution data set, which were analysed using statistical and geostatistical means. Processes affecting standard deviation at the 5‐cm depth were different from the 20‐cm and 50‐cm depths. Deeper soil measurements were well correlated through the field season. Further analysis demonstrated that lag time to maximum correlation between soil depths increased through the field season. Temporal autocorrelation was approximately twice as long at depth compared to surface soil moisture as measured by the e‐folding frequency. Spatial correlation was highest under wet conditions caused by uniform rainfall events with low coefficient of variation. Overall soil moisture spatial and temporal variability was explained well by rainfall events and antecedent soil moisture conditions throughout the Kenaston soil moisture network. It is expected that the results of this study will support future remote sensing calibration and validation missions, data assimilation, as well as hydrologic model parameterization for use in agricultural regions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Relating snow dynamics and balsam fir stand characteristics,Montmorency Forest,Quebec

Snow water equivalent was measured during three springs on north‐ and south‐exposed sites representing a range of stand structure and development stages of Quebec's balsam fir forest. Maximum snow water equivalent of the season, mean seasonal snowmelt rate, snowmelt season duration and total snowmelt season degree‐day factor were related to canopy height, canopy density, light interception fraction and basal area of the stands using random coefficient models. Seasonal mean snowmelt rate was better explained by stand characteristics (R² from 0·41 to 0·61) than was maximum snow water equivalent (R² from 0·08 to 0·23). The best relationship was found with light interception, which explained 61% of snowmelt rate variability between stands. These relationships were not significantly affected by stand aspect (Pr ≥ S = 0·14 or higher), as snow dynamics seemed less dependent on aspect than on stand characteristics. Snowmelt recovery rates could be used by forest planners to establish an acceptable time step for the harvesting of different parts of a watershed in order to prevent peak flow augmentations. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.