Water Storage in the Forest Floor of Subalpine Forests of Alberta

1972 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas L. Golding ◽  
Charles R Stanton
Keyword(s):  
Forest Floor ◽  
Storage Capacity ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Subalpine Forests ◽  
Water Storage Capacity ◽  
Unit Thickness ◽  
Significant Difference

Water storage by the forest floor and its relation to other characteristics of the forest floor were determined for three forest types (spruce-fir (Picea spp. - Abies spp.) partially, cut spruce-fir, and young lodgepole pine (Pinuscontorta Dougl.), and three predominant aspects (north, south, and east) on Marmot Creek experimental watershed in south western Alberta.There was no significant difference between uncut and partially-cut spruce-fir forest floor in water-storage capacity, depth of water held after draining, water held per unit thickness of forest floor, or dry weight, although forest-floor thickness was greater under uncut spruce-fir (11.36 cm) than partially cut (9.84 cm). The forest floor averaged for cut and uncut spruce-fir had greater water-storage capacity (1.93) than under young lodgepole pine(1.35), greater depth of water held (1.94 cm, 0.85 cm,) greater dry weight (89 506 kg/ha, 55 039 kg/ha), and greater thickness (10.60 cm, 4.59 cm). There was no difference in water held per unit thickness of forest floor (0.19 cm/cm under spruce-fir, 0.18 cm/cm under pine). The lower values for pine than for spruce-fir are attributed to an intense fire 30 years ago on the area presently supporting the young pine.Regressions are given of water held on forest-floor thickness, weight of water held on dry weight, and water-storage capacity on thickness.

scholarly journals Does Mixing Tree Species Affect Water Storage Capacity of the Forest Floor? Laboratory Test of Pine-Oak and Fir-Beech Litter Layers

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1674
Author(s):  
Anna Ilek ◽  
Małgorzata Szostek ◽  
Anna Mikołajczyk ◽  
Marta Rajtar
Keyword(s):  
Physical Properties ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Storage Capacity ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Pine Needles ◽  
Litter Layer ◽  
Water Storage Capacity ◽  
Organic Debris

During the last decade, tree species mixing has been widely supported as a silvicultural approach to reduce drought stress. However, little is known on the influence of tree species mixing on physical properties and the water storage capacity of forest soils (including the forest floor). Thus, the study aimed to analyze the effect of mixing pine needles and oak leaves and mixing fir needles and beech leaves on hydro-physical properties of the litter layer during laboratory tests. We used fir-beech and pine-oak litter containing various shares of conifer needles (i.e., 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100%) to determine the influence of the needle admixture on bulk density, total porosity, macroporosity, water storage capacity, the amount of water stored in pores between organic debris and the degree of saturation of mixed litter compared to broadleaf litter (oak or beech). We found that the admixture of fir needles increased the bulk density of litter from 7.9% with a 5% share of needles to 55.5% with a 50% share (compared to pure beech litter), while the share of pine needles < 40% caused a decrease in bulk density by an average of 3.0–11.0% (compared to pure oak litter). Pine needles decreased the water storage capacity of litter by about 13–14% with the share of needles up to 10% and on average by 28% with the 40 and 50% shares of pine needles in the litter layer. Both conifer admixtures reduced the amount of water stored in the pores between organic debris (pine needles more than fir needles).

scholarly journals Laboratory model test study of the hydrological effect on granite residual soil slopes considering different vegetation types

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Chen ◽  
Xue-wen Lei ◽  
Han-lin Zhang ◽  
Zhi Lin ◽  
Hui Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Root System ◽  
Heavy Rainfall ◽  
Storage Capacity ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Laboratory Model ◽  
Residual Soil ◽  
Vegetation Types ◽  
Water Storage Capacity ◽  
Granite Residual Soil ◽  
Stem Leaf

AbstractThe problems caused by the interaction between slopes and hydrologic environment in traffic civil engineering are very serious in the granite residual soil area of China, especially in Guangdong Province. Against the background of two heavy rainfall events occurring during a short period due to a typhoon making landfall twice or even two typhoons consecutively making landfall, laboratory model tests were carried out on the hydrological effects of the granite residual soil slope considering three vegetation types under artificial rainfall. The variation in slope surface runoff, soil moisture content and rain seepage over time was recorded during the tests. The results indicate that surface vegetation first effectively reduces the splash erosion impact of rainwater on slopes and then influences the slope hydrological effect through rainwater forms adjustment. (1) The exposed slope has weak resistance to two consecutive heavy rains, the degree of slope scouring and soil erosion damage will increase greatly during the second rainfall. (2) The multiple hindrances of the stem leaf of Zoysia japonica plays a leading role in regulating the hydrological effect of slope, the root system has little effect on the permeability and water storage capacity of slope soil, but improves the erosion resistance of it. (3) Both the stem leaf and root system of Nephrolepis cordifolia have important roles on the hydrological effect. The stem leaf can stabilize the infiltration of rainwater, and successfully inhibit the surface runoff under continuous secondary heavy rainfall. The root system significantly enhances the water storage capacity of the slope, and greatly increases the permeability of the slope soil in the second rainfall, which is totally different from that of the exposed and Zoysia japonica slopes. (4) Zoysia is a suitable vegetation species in terms of slope protection because of its comprehensive slope protection effect. Nephrolepis cordifolia should be cautiously planted as slope protection vegetation. Only on slopes with no stability issues should Nephrolepis cordifolia be considered to preserve soil and water.

scholarly journals Fog interception by Ball moss (<i>Tillandsia recurvata</i>)

2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. 2509-2518 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Guevara-Escobar ◽  
M. Cervantes-Jiménez ◽  
H. Suzán-Azpiri ◽  
E. González-Sosa ◽  
L. Hernández-Sandoval ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Storage Capacity ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Water Yield ◽  
Major Influence ◽  
Water Storage Capacity ◽  
Acacia Farnesiana ◽  
Water Recharge ◽  
Rain Interception

Abstract. Interception losses are a major influence in the water yield of vegetated areas. For most storms, rain interception results in less water reaching the ground. However, fog interception can increase the overall water storage capacity of the vegetation and once the storage is exceeded, fog drip is a common hydrological input. Fog interception is disregarded in water budgets of semiarid regions, but for some plant communities, it could be a mechanism offsetting evaporation losses. Tillandsia recurvata is a cosmopolitan epiphyte adapted to arid habitats where fog may be an important water source. Therefore, the interception storage capacity by T. recurvata was measured in controlled conditions and applying simulated rain or fog. Juvenile, vegetative specimens were used to determine the potential upperbound storage capacities. The storage capacity was proportional to dry weight mass. Interception storage capacity (Cmin) was 0.19 and 0.56 mm for rainfall and fog respectively. The coefficients obtained in the laboratory were used together with biomass measurements for T. recurvata in a xeric scrub to calculate the depth of water intercepted by rain. T. recurvata contributed 20 % to the rain interception capacity of their shrub hosts: Acacia farnesiana and Prosopis laevigata and; also potentially intercepted 4.8 % of the annual rainfall. Nocturnal stomatic opening in T. recurvata is not only relevant for CO2 but for water vapor, as suggested by the higher weight change of specimens wetted with fog for 1 h at dark in comparison to those wetted during daylight (543 ± 77 vs. 325 ± 56 mg, p = 0.048). The storage capacity of T. recurvata leaf surfaces could increase the amount of water available for evaporation, but as this species colonise montane forests, the effect could be negative on water recharge, because potential storage capacity is very high, in the laboratory experiments it took up to 12 h at a rate of 0.26 l h−1 to reach saturation conditions when fog was applied.

scholarly journals Urban water storage capacity inferred from observed evapotranspiration recession

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harro Joseph Jongen ◽  
Gert-Jan Steeneveld ◽  
Jason Beringer ◽  
Andreas Christen ◽  
Krzysztof Fortuniak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Storage Capacity ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Water Storage Capacity

Urban water storage capacity inferred from observed evapotranspiration recession 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harro Jongen ◽  
Gert-Jan Steeneveld ◽  
Jason Beringer ◽  
Krzysztof Fortuniak ◽  
Jinkyu Hong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Storage Capacity ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Water Storage Capacity ◽  
Vegetation Fraction ◽  
Local Climate Zones ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
Neighborhood Scale

&lt;p&gt;The amount and dynamics of urban water storage play an important role in mitigating urban flooding and heat. Assessment of the capacity of cities to store water remains challenging due to the extreme heterogeneity of the urban surface. Evapotranspiration (ET) recession after rainfall events during the period without precipitation, over which the amount of stored water gradually decreases, can provide insight on the water storage capacity of urban surfaces. Assuming ET is the only outgoing flux, the water storage capacity can be estimated based on the timescale and intercept of its recession. In this paper, we test the proposed approach to estimate the water storage capacity at neighborhood scale with latent heat flux data collected by eddy covariance flux towers in eleven contrasting urban sites with different local climate zones, vegetation cover and characteristics and background climates (Amsterdam, Arnhem, Basel, Berlin, Helsinki, &amp;#321;&amp;#243;d&amp;#378;, Melbourne, Mexico City, Seoul, Singapore, Vancouver). Water storage capacities ranging between 1 and 12 mm were found. These values correspond to e-folding timescales lasting from 2 to 10 days, which translate to half-lives of 1.5 to 7 days. We find ET at the start of a drydown to be positively related to vegetation fraction, and long timescales and large storage capacities to be associated with higher vegetation fractions. According to our results, urban water storage capacity is at least one order of magnitude smaller than the known water storage capacity in natural forests and grassland.&lt;/p&gt;

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document