Moss beneath a leafless larch canopy: influence on water and energy balances in the southern mountainous taiga of eastern Siberia

Abstract

AbstractThe southern mountainous taiga of eastern Siberia has a sparse larch canopy and an understory dominated by a thick moss layer. The physiology of moss is very different from that of other plants, as mosses lack roots and vascular systems and take up water directly. During May 2002, we conducted hydrological and meteorological measurements in the taiga of eastern Siberia to investigate the role of understory moss on water and energy balances within a leafless larch forest. We found that below‐leafless canopy net all‐wave radiation partitions into 39% latent heat flux and 39% sensible heat flux, while the mean daily Bowen ratio is about 1. Ground heat flux on the moss surface is also an important factor, as it comprises 22% of net all‐wave radiation. Evaporation from moss beneath the leafless canopy was 24 mm during the 1‐month observation period, representing 23% of the water flux into the larch forest. This finding implies that moss intercepted 23% of the water flux into the larch forest. In addition, evaporation from the moss understory during May 2002 comprised 22% of total evapotranspiration previously estimated above the canopy (April–October 2001). We conclude that moss is an important component of the water and energy balance in larch forests in the taiga region. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.