Field data collection and analysis of canopy and litter interception in commercial forest plantations in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, South Africa

Bulcock, H. H.; Jewitt, Graham

doi:10.5194/hess-16-3717-2012

Cited by 70 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…The forest type in Helvey's study was similar to that of ours, and the estimated decrease in 3-year ET in our study (80.3 mm) is comparable with that reported by Helvey (1967), which suggests that forest floor evaporation could be accounted for by the decrease in litter interception after litter removal from the entire watershed. Bulcock and Jewitt (2012) reported 3-year litter interceptions of 160, 125, and 231 mm in Eucalyptus, Acacia, and Pinus stands, respectively. These values are also comparable with those of our study.…”

Section: Discussion Effect Of Litter Removal On Etmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Continuous field measurements of litter interception can only be obtained using a sheet-shaped weighing lysimeter (Schaap and Bouten 1997;Gerrits et al 2007Gerrits et al , 2010 or a permeable basin with a tipping bucket rain gauge to continuously monitor the water that drains from the litter layer into the soil (Bulcock and Jewitt 2012). However, these measuring devices are difficult to establish on sloping surfaces because the overlying litter can move downslope under the influence of gravity, which can alter the impact of raindrops on the forest floor.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effect of the litter layer on runoff and evapotranspiration using the paired watershed method

Gomyo

Kuraji

2016

Journal of Forest Research

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The litter layer on a forest floor can influence both short-term runoff and long-term water balance through modification of various hydrological processes. In this study, we have quantified the watershed-scale effects of the litter layer on runoff and evapotranspiration using a paired watershed method. The removal of the litter layer in a forested watershed with an area of 1.19 ha was conducted annually over the latter half of a 6-year experimental period. An adjacent forested watershed with an area of 1.42 ha was preserved as a control. Our results indicated that litter removal increased the 3-year runoff by 80.3 mm during the post-treatment period. Furthermore, when the peak flow range in the control watershed was 0.4-1.0 mm/h and [1.0 mm/h, peak runoff during flood events was about 1.5 and 1.4 times greater than that observed before litter layer removal, respectively. These data suggest that litter layer removal can decrease litter layer interception and, hence, increase peak flow, particularly during relatively large flood runoff events.

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Section: Discussion Effect Of Litter Removal On Etmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of the litter layer on runoff and evapotranspiration using the paired watershed method

Gomyo

Kuraji

2016

Journal of Forest Research

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“…The litter layer is an important component of forest ecosystems and its importance is often underestimated in water resource management (Schaap et al 1997, Levia et al 2005, Ilek et al 2015. More recent studies have added evidence of a substantial impact of litter on the water budget in semiarid shrubland and woodland with a substantial litter layer (Dunkerley 2000, Chang et al 2008, Bulcock & Jewitt 2012, Acharya et al 2017). However, the litter production dynamics, litter layer structure and hydrological properties of secondary forests in humid forest ecosystems, as well as their relevance in water conservation management have not been widely studied.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydrological properties of litter layers in mixed forests in Mt. Qinling, China

Chen¹,

Cao²,

Tanaka³

et al. 2018

iForest

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The litter layer is an important component of forest ecosystems, although little is known about the differences in litter characteristics and hydrological properties of unmanaged, overgrown broadleaved and coniferous mixed forests in the subtropical and temperate zones. This study was carried out in a naturally generated broadleaved and coniferous mixed forest at the Qinling National Forest Ecosystem Research Station, Shaanxi Province, China. We quantified the litter thickness, mass, and its hydrological properties in evergreen pine (Pinus tabulaeformis) stands and deciduous oak (Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata) stands through in situ surveys and laboratory immersion experiments. The thickness of the litter layer for P. tabulaeformis averaged 9.3 ± 2.8 cm, and it was not significantly different from that detected in the Q. aliena stand (8.3 ± 3.6 cm). The total mass of the litter layer for P. tabulaeformis, 27.94 ± 9.81 Mg ha -1 , was significantly higher than the total mass of 16.04 ± 3.60 Mg ha -1 found for Q. aliena. The mass of the semi-decomposed, fermented litter (OF) layer was significantly higher than that of the non-decomposed litter (OL) layer, irrespective of species. The rate of water absorption by dry litter was the highest at the onset of the immersion experiment and decreased exponentially with time. The water-holding capacity (Wm) and water-interception capacity (Wi) of the OF layer were higher than the OL layer for both forest stands. The Wm and Wi for the P. tabulaeformis stand were higher than those for the Q. aliena stand at our study sites. The higher Wm and Wi for P. tabulaeformis may be more effective in ameliorating the splash impact from high-intensity storms to improve water quality, while relatively lower Wm and Wi for Q. aliena may be considered favorable for augmenting water yield. Forest resource managers should consider those differences along with the other components of the water budget when making management decisions.

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“…Research by Bulcock and Jewitt (2012) also found that in precipitation events of 4 mm or less, 100 % interception commonly occurred in forest interception studies depending on antecedent conditions of the leaf litter and canopy. The variable weather conditions and the type of rainfall experienced have an effect on θ and therefore the water availability and DF water use.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Water-use dynamics of a peat swamp forest and a dune forest in Maputaland, South Africa

Clulow

Everson

Price

et al. 2013

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. Peat swamp forests are the second rarest forest type found in South Africa while dune forests have been under severe threat through mining and agriculture. Both forest types exist in the conservation area, and World Heritage site, known as the iSimangaliso Wetland Park on the East coast of South Africa. The area is prone to severe droughts (Taylor et al., 2006) and recent attempts to understand the local water balance revealed that there was insufficient information on the water use of the indigenous forests of the area. The peat swamp forest and dune forest sites studied in this research were located within close proximity to each other, yet, are characterised by different landscape positions in terms of water availability. The coastal dune forest soil profile was generally dry and sandy and the tree roots did not have access to the water table. In contrast the peat swamp forest is located in an interdunal wetland where the trees have permanent access to water. The climate at both sites is subtropical with a mean annual precipitation of 1200 mm yr −1 . However, over 20 months of measurement, the first summer (October 2009 to March 2010) was drier (424 versus 735 mm) than the second summer (October 2010 to March 2011) emphasising the variability of the rainfall in the area and providing a wide range of conditions measured.The sap flow of an evergreen, overstory Syzygium cordatum and a semi-deciduous, understory Shirakiopsis elliptica were measured in the peat swamp forest using the heat ratio method. The Syzygium cordatum water use was not highly seasonal and the daily maximum water use ranged from approximately 30 L d −1 in winter to 45 L d −1 in summer whereas the Shirakiopsis elliptica water use was more seasonal at 2 L d −1 in winter and 12 L d −1 in summer. The water use of the Syzygium cordatum was not influenced by seasonal rainfall variations and was actually higher in the drier summer (October 2009 to March 2010). Three trees of different heights were monitored in the same way in the dune forest and the water use found to be highly seasonal. Over the entire measurement period, the water use was highest for an emergent Mimusops caffra (5 to 45 L d −1 ), whereas the water use of the Eugenia natalitia (2 to 28 L d −1 ) and Drypetes natalensis (1 to 4 L d −1 ) was lower. At the dune forest, the water use was highest in the wetter summer due to the reliance of the trees on rainfall to recharge the soil water. A split-line regression showed that on average, soil water limited tree water use 64 % of the time over the measurement period at the dune forest. For modelling tree water use at the dune forest, it was concluded that a two-stage model, taking soil water content into account (from multiple sampling points), would be necessary.

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Field data collection and analysis of canopy and litter interception in commercial forest plantations in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, South Africa

Cited by 70 publications

References 20 publications

Effect of the litter layer on runoff and evapotranspiration using the paired watershed method

Effect of the litter layer on runoff and evapotranspiration using the paired watershed method

Hydrological properties of litter layers in mixed forests in Mt. Qinling, China

Water-use dynamics of a peat swamp forest and a dune forest in Maputaland, South Africa

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