Sampling throughfall and stemflow in young loblolly pine plantations

Abstract

Throughfall and stemflow estimates were obtained on a rain-event basis for small (0.09-hectare) plots established in a young loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantation in North Carolina. The plots were exposed to specific fertilization and irrigation treatments, which resulted in a wide range of basal areas and leaf area indices. Coefficients of variation were also determined, which revealed a negative exponential relationship with rain-event magnitude. Throughfall was substantially less variable than stemflow. Recommended sample-size curves were developed for throughfall and stemflow to achieve 5 percent accuracy at the 0.80, 0.90, and 0.95 probability levels.