Energy budget comparison of snowmelt rates in a deciduous forest and an open site

Abstract

Daily snowmelt rates at a leafless deciduous forest site were 40–85% of those at an open site. Reduced snowmelt rates were caused by a difference in meteorological conditions at the forested site. Solar radiation, net radiation and wind speed were especially reduced in the forest, and relationships between them at the two sites were represented by linear functions. Snowmelt rates at the two sites could be predicted by an energy budget method, and net radiation was the major component in the snowmelt energy at both sites. Differences between snowmelt rates at the two sites were due to net radiation differences over many days, but dependency on net radiation at both sites was reduced under particular meteorological conditions. Parameteric analysis under fixed meteorological conditions indicates that this dependency is changed by wind speed, temperature and humidity, because wind speed is reduced in the forest and decrease of turbulent heat exchange in the forest will be notable under strong wind conditions.