Publication Date:
2016-01-01
Description:
In our paper we deal with the changes in the rainfall interception process of a climax spruce forest in the growing season (approximately from May to October) during its die-back. Experimental data were collected at the research plot of Červenec situated in the West Tatras at an elevation of 1,420 m a.s.l. in the years from 2013 to 2015. Net precipitation was monitored at three localities in both living and dead forests: canopy gap, dripping zone at crown periphery and central zone of a crown. Gross precipitation was recorded at an open forest area (with a diameter of 1–2 tree heights). The comparison of net precipitation in the stands revealed the highest values in the dripping zone at crown periphery of the living forest due to its increase by occult (horizontal) precipitation and transport of rainfall captured in the crown to its periphery. The values in the growing season of 2014 exceeded also gross precipitation. The total interception loss (total gross – net precipitation in % of gross precipitation) the canopy gap during the monitored period was 10.1% in the living and 18.3% in the dead stand, in the dripping zone at crown periphery it was 1.7% in the living and 20.5% in the dead stand, and in the central zone of a crown it was 70.6% in the living and 59.9% in the dead stand. Forest die-back had an effect on the distribution of precipitation under canopy. The comparison of mean interception values at three localities of the living and dead stands revealed significant differences between the stands in all cases (
Print ISSN:
0006-3088
Electronic ISSN:
1336-9563
Topics:
Biology
