Rainfall Interception by Beech, Larch and Norway Spruce

Interception loss is related to the nature of the rain. Thespatial variability of rainfall on the forest floor and thevariability between stemflow of trees are examined in an attemptto discover their relationships. Comparison between rainfallon the forest floor and stemflow with rainfall over the canopyshows that leaf fall produces very little effect on interceptionloss in the deciduous species. Relative to precipitation outsidethe forest, there is concentration of rainfall on certain partsof the forest floor. This is most evident in beech (Fagus sylvatica);spruce (Picea abies) concentrates water to a lesser extent,and in larch (Larix decidua) a negligible area of the floorreceives more than gross rainfall. The implications of thiscomparison with respect to water conservation are discussed.