Abstract
AbstractSnowmelt was measured on a daily basis for 17 days at the open site and 18 days at three Japanese cedar sites with canopy closure of 17.8% (cedar stand A), 5.2% (B) and 2.4% (C) in April. Measured daily snowmelt at each site was reproduced by heat-balance calculation with an accuracy of <±1 mm w.e. From 1st April to the date of snow disappearance net radiation accounted for 88.4, 43.0, 32.7 and 34.2% of total snowmelt energy at the open site, the cedar stands A, B and C, respectively. The ratio of sensible and latent heat to total snowmelt was 33.1–37.9 and 25.9–29.4%, respectively, at three cedar stands. The ratios of sensible and latent heat increased over time in accordance with the rise in temperature at all cedar sites. They became large on a daily basis when air temperature and/or wind speed were high. Wind speed is dependent on morphology around each site that also dictated snowmelt.
Highlights
To utilize snow as water resources it is favorable to manage forest so that snowpack remains as long as possible during snowmelt season in snow-dominant watersheds
Some studies formulated the relationship between snow accumulation and canopy closure (Kuz’min, 1960; Pomeroy and others, 2002; Varhola and others, 2010). They showed that accumulation of snow on a forest floor decreases with increasing canopy closure, because some parts of intercepted snow on the canopy evaporates
Simultaneous measurement of heat balance at some forest sites with an opening is essential, because it enables to clarify the dependence of forest structure on accumulation and snowmelt that leads to parameterize the effect of forest
Summary
To utilize snow as water resources it is favorable to manage forest so that snowpack remains as long as possible during snowmelt season in snow-dominant watersheds. For this purpose, modeling of accumulation and ablation processes in relation with forest structure is essential. The higher the canopy closure becomes, the less snow accumulation and ablation on the forest floor are, which means there exists optimal degree of canopy closure at the site Those formulations are empirical with limited applicability, and there are few studies on the modeling based on physical processes including forest structure. Simultaneous measurement of heat balance at some forest sites with an opening is essential, because it enables to clarify the dependence of forest structure on accumulation and snowmelt that leads to parameterize the effect of forest
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