Net rainfall patterns in a Pinus pinaster forest

Abstract

Throughfall and stemflow volume generation was measured over 1 year period in a Pinus pinaster stand 9 years old. Throughfall was measured using 8 collectors in a fixed position connected to a tipping bucket rainfall gauge in a representative 10 x 10 m plot of the forest and stemflow was measured in three trees using a rubber ring around the trunk connected to a tipping bucket rainfall gauge. The two tipping bucket rainfall gauges was connected to a datalogger programmed to record data every 5 minutes. There was an interception loss of 23.3. % of the 938.2 mm of total rainfall observed during the year-long period. Stemflow accounted for 4 % and throughfall accounted for 72.7 %. Observed throughfall intensity was 9.1 % lower than rainfall intensity. The duration of stemflow was 60% higher than precipitation, whilst throughfall was 20% lower.