Comment on “Spatial throughfall heterogeneity in a montane rain forest in Ecuador: Extent, temporal stability and drivers” by Wullaert et al. [J. Hydrol. 377 (2009) 71–79

Abstract

Redistribution of rainfall in forest canopies results in a considerable small-scale variability of throughfall (e.g. Loustau et al., 1992; Staelens et al., 2006). For decades, researchers have tried to understand the drivers of this variability (e.g. Helvey and Patrick, 1965; Kimmins, 1973; Beier et al., 1993; Staelens et al., 2006; Zimmermann et al., 2009), and many attempts have been made to predict throughfall patterns in the spatial and temporal domain (e.g. Ford and Deans, 1978; Whelan and Anderson, 1996; Keim et al., 2005; Staelens et al., 2006; Zimmermann et al., 2009). Wullaert et al. (2009) investigated the spatial and temporal variability of throughfall in undisturbed and managed Ecuadorian montane forests and concluded that throughfall measurements show temporal persistence during a four-year monitoring period; a stability which they considered long-term and which they linked to the differentiation of ecological niches and plant diversity. Furthermore, Wullaert et al. (2009) concluded that meteorological conditions have a negligible influence on throughfall spatial variation. In this comment we will discuss these findings in light of their data-analytical approach.