Canopy rainfall interception by pine (Pinus hartwegii Lindl) and oyamel [Abies religiosa ( Kunth )  Schltdl.  y Cham.] at the Zoquiapan Experimental Forest Station, Mexico

Abstract

Objective: To quantify and characterize the canopy rainfall interception of twodominant forest species of a coniferous forest in Mexico, in order to determine its magnitude and importance in the hydrological cycle and have a source of estimation of interception to improve the accuracy of water balance calculation.Methodology: Twenty-one rainfall events in the period May-June 2018 were analyzed in two 0.25-ha experimental plots, one with pine (Pinus hartwegii) and theother with oyamel (Abies religiosa), at the Zoquiapan Experimental Forest Station (EFEZ), located in the Sierra Nevada in the State of Mexico. Rainfall was measured with an automated weather station and interception was recorded by placing collectors under the canopy and collars on the trunks.Results: The pine tree P. hartwegii intercepted 16.37% of the precipitation, 79.86% of the throughfall, and 3.74% of the stemflow. For A. religiosa, recorded interception was 24.68%, throughfall 72.42%, and stemflow 2.90%. Precipitation had a linear  relationship with both throughfall and stemflow, and an exponential one with canopy rainfall interception.Implications: The analysis should be extended to other rainy periods to strengthen the study.Conclusions: The intercepted volume depends on the forest measurement characteristics and leaf area index (LAI) of the species, and the rainfall amount. The fraction of rainfall intercepted is considerable and should be included in hydrological balances.