The influence of vegetation on the microstructure and erosivity of precipitation
- Authors: Lana Radulović, Nejc Bezak, Mojca Šraj
- Citation: Acta hydrotechnica, vol. 36, no. 64, pp. 57-79, 2023. https://doi.org/10.15292/acta.hydro.2023.04
- Abstract: The process of precipitation interception, in which vegetation retains precipitation, has a major influence on natural processes such as soil erosion. Assessing this influence requires measurements of the microstructure of precipitation using modern instruments that allow measurements of the velocity, size, and number of raindrops. The precipitation microstructure data were obtained using 1-minute measurements from three optical disdrometers placed under the birch canopy, under the black pine canopy and above the canopies. In the period under consideration between 12 July 2022 and 16 February 2023, 48 rainfall events were recorded, for which the duration, the amount of precipitation, the average intensity of precipitation, and the characteristics of the raindrops (size, velocity, and number of drops) were calculated. Additionally, the kinetic energy (KE), the maximum 30-minute intensity (max I30), and the rainfall erosivity factor (R) were calculated. All these variables were calculated for measurements above and below the tree canopies. The results show that the proportion of intercepted precipitation decreases with the duration of the events for both birch and pine. Droplets increased on average during the leafed period, as they passed through the tree canopy, and decreased during the leafless period. During the entire period, the diameter of the droplets increased on average by 46% under birch and by 26% under black pine. The droplet velocity decreased on average by 38% under the pine, while it increased minimally under the birch by 1%, which is the result of an increase in the average velocity under the birch during the leafless period by 7%. The analysis of the results shows that the rainfall interception has a large impact on soil erosion, as, for example, the rainfall erosivity factor (R) under birch decreased by 43% and under pine by 90%.
- Keywords: Rainfall interception, rainfall microstructure, disdrometer, rainfall erosivity, birch, black pine, Slovenia.
- Full text: a36lr.pdf
- References:
- Alivio, M. B., Šraj, M., Bezak, N. (2023). Investigating the reduction of rainfall intensity beneath an urban deciduous tree canopy. Agric For Meteorol 342. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2023.109727.
- ARSO (2023). Sneg in obilne padavine med 15. in 20. januarjem 2023. Ljubljana.
- ARSO (2022). Obilne padavine in neurja med 15. in 17. septembrom 2022. Ljubljana.
- Bezak, N., Rusjan, S., Petan, S., Sodnik, J., Mikoš, M. (2015). Estimation of soil loss by the WATEM/SEDEM model using an automatic parameter estimation procedure. Environ Earth Sci 74(6), 5245–5261. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-4534-0.
- Blöschl, G. et al. (2019). Twenty-three unsolved problems in hydrology (UPH)–a community perspective. Hydrological Sciences Journal 64(10), 1141–1158. https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2019.1620507.
- Burt, T., Boardman, J., Foster, I., Howden, N. (2016). More rain, less soil: Long-term changes in rainfall intensity with climate change. Earth Surf Process Landf 41(4), 563–566. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.3868.
- Frasson, R. P. de M., Krajewski, W. F. (2011). Characterization of the drop-size distribution and velocity-diameter relation of the throughfall under the maize canopy. Agric For Meteorol 151(9), 1244–1251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2011.05.001.
- Green Infrastructure [WWW Document] (2018). . https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/nature-and-biodiversity/green-infrastructure_en.
- Hall, R. L., Calder, I. R. (1993). Drop size modification by forest canopies: Measurements using a disdrometer. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 98(D10), 18465–18470. https://doi.org/10.1029/93JD01498.
- Kermavnar, J., Vilhar, U. (2017). Canopy precipitation interception in urban forests in relation to stand structure. Urban Ecosyst 20(6), 1373–1387. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-017-0689-7.
- Kirnbauer, M. C., Baetz, B. W., Kenney, W. A. (2013). Estimating the stormwater attenuation benefits derived from planting four monoculture species of deciduous trees on vacant and underutilized urban land parcels. Urban For Urban Green 12(3), 401–407. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.UFUG.2013.03.003.
- Levia, D. F., Hudson, S. A., Llorens, P., Nanko, K. (2017). Throughfall drop size distributions: a review and prospectus for future research. WIREs Water 4(4). https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1225.
- LI-COR (2023). LI-2200C Plant Canopy Analyzer [WWW Document]. https://www.licor.com/env/products/leaf_area/LAI-2200C/instrument.
- Nanko, K., Hotta, N., Suzuki, M. (2006). Evaluating the influence of canopy species and meteorological factors on throughfall drop size distribution. J Hydrol (Amst) 329(3–4), 422–431. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2006.02.036.
- Nanko, K., Hudson, S. A., Levia, D. F. (2016). Differences in throughfall drop size distributions in the presence and absence of foliage. Hydrological Sciences Journal 61(3), 620–627. https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2015.1052454.
- Nanko, K., Tanaka, N., Leuchner, M., Levia, D. F. (2020). Throughfall Erosivity in Relation to Drop Size and Crown Position: A Case Study from a Teak Plantation in Thailand, in: Levia, D. F., Carlyle-Moses, D. E., Iida, S., Michalzik, B., Nanko, Kazuki (Eds.), Forest-Water Interactions. Springer Nature Switzerland, 279–298. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26086-6_12.
- OTT Hydromet (2016). Operating Instructions. Present weather sensor OTT Parsivel. [WWW Document]. URL http://www.ott.com/en-us/products/download/operating-instructions-present-weather-sensor-ott parsivel2/ (accessed 12.19.23).
- Panagos, P., Borrelli, P., Poesen, J., Ballabio, C., Lugato, E., Meusburger, K., Montanarella, L., Alewell, C. (2015). The new assessment of soil loss by water erosion in Europe. Environ Sci Policy 54, 438–447. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2015.08.012.
- Petan, S., Rusjan, S., Vidmar, A., Mikoš, M. (2010). The rainfall kinetic energy–intensity relationship for rainfall erosivity estimation in the mediterranean part of Slovenia. J Hydrol (Amst) 391(3–4), 314–321. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JHYDROL.2010.07.031.
- Radulović, L. (2023). Vpliv prestrezanja padavin na mikrostrukturo padavin. Univerza v Ljubljani, Ljubljana.
- Renard, K. G., Foster, G. R., Weesies, G. A., McCool, D. K., Yoder, D. C. (1997). Predicting Soil Erosion by Water: A Guide to Conservation Planning with the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), Agricultural Handbook. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington.
- Resolucija o Strategiji prostorskega razvoja Slovenije 2050 [WWW Document] (2023). . https://www.uradni-list.si/glasilo-uradni-list-rs/vsebina/2023-01-2295/resolucija-o-strategiji-prostorskega-razvoja-slovenije-2050-respr50.
- UN Sustainable Development Goals [WWW Document] (2023). . https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/.
- Zabret, K., Rakovec, J., Mikoš, M., Šraj, M. (2017). Influence of Raindrop Size Distribution on Throughfall Dynamics under Pine and Birch Trees at the Rainfall Event Level. Atmosphere (Basel) 8(12), 240. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos8120240.
- Zabret, K., Rakovec, J., Šraj, M. (2018). Influence of meteorological variables on rainfall partitioning for deciduous and coniferous tree species in urban area. J Hydrol (Amst) 558, 29–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2018.01.025.
- Zabret, K., Šraj, M. (2019). Rainfall Interception by Urban Trees and Their Impact on Potential Surface Runoff. Clean (Weinh) 47(8), 1800327. https://doi.org/10.1002/clen.201800327.
- Zabret, K., Šraj, M. (2018). Spatial variability of throughfall under single birch and pine tree canopies. Acta hydrotechnica 31(54), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.15292/acta.hydro.2018.01.
- Zabret, K., Šraj, M. (2015). Can Urban Trees Reduce the Impact of Climate Change on Storm Runoff? Urbani izziv 26(Supplement), S165–S178. https://doi.org/10.5379/urbani-izziv-en-2015-26-supplement-011.
- Zore, A., Bezak, N., Šraj, M. (2022). The influence of rainfall interception on the erosive power of raindrops under the birch tree. J Hydrol (Amst) 613. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2022.128478.