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| Ecosystem water flux is sensitive to change in vegetation canopy attributes such as cover, depth, foliar density and phenology, which alter rainfall partitioning and determine the portion of rainfall intercepted by the canopy. Increase in canopy cover, depth and foliar density associated with vegetation development could increase water loss to canopy interception, potentially leading to a substantial decrease in water available for ecosystem transpiration and non-ecosystem water use. There is limited understanding on the dynamic linkage between rainfall interception and vegetation development in general, and the massive plantation in the temperate region in China in particular. We characterized the canopy structure of Pinus tabulaeformis and Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata, two dominant species at different stages of canopy development at Huodigou Experimental Watershed 2, the Qinling National Forest Ecosystem Research Station, Shaanxi Province, China. We directly quantified rainfall interception of a mature P. tabulaeformis forest between June 2006 and Oct 2008. Along with historic rainfall interception measurements on this site, we discussed the dynamic coupling between rainfall partitioning, species composition and canopy development and its ecohydrological implications for management of the soil and water conservation forests. |
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| Keywords:forest hydrology; canopy development; rainfall duration; antecedent dry time; Pinus tabulaeformis; Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata |
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