A model to consider the spatial variability of rainfall partitioning within deciduous canopy. I. Model description

✍ Scribed by T. J. A. DAVIE; M. G. DUROCHER

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 256 KB
• Volume: 11
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0885-6087
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-1085(199709)11:11<1509::aid-hyp482>3.0.co;2-l

✦ Synopsis

In this ®rst paper of two, a numerical simulation model capable of simulating the spatial variability of rainfall partitioning within a canopy is presented. The second paper details how the model is parameterized, and some testing of its capabilities.

The ®rst stage of the model is to derive the mature canopy structure. This is achieved through simpli®ed individual tree structures and a random placement routine based on a modi®ed Poisson distribution. Following this the spatial discretization for throughfall is attained as a series of layers of triangles with a tree trunk at every apex. The number of layers is derived from the leaf area index through a modi®ed Poisson distribution. Seasonal variation in the deciduous canopy is simulated through a time vector routine. The rainfall partitioning section of the model is based upon the Rutter model which has been modi®ed to each individual triangle layer. The main feature of this model is that it oers a method of simulating rainfall partitioning at a scale that is a function of the size of the elementary physical components (tree and leaf scale). This can be used to investigate soil moisture variations under a canopy, or to study the variations within the forest hydrological processes themselves.