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Discussion of ‘Interception by eastern white pine’ by J. D. Helvey and ‘Throughfall and stemflow in a pine‐hardwood stand in the Oachita Mountains of Arkansas’ by E. R. Lawson
Author(s) -
Miller David H.
Publication year - 1968
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/wr004i002p00453
Subject(s) - throughfall , stemflow , interception , environmental science , hydrology (agriculture) , canopy , forestry , precipitation , hardwood , canopy interception , agroforestry , geography , meteorology , soil water , soil science , ecology , geology , archaeology , biology , geotechnical engineering
Two papers [ Helvey , 1967; Lawson , 1967] on interception of rainfall in the latest issue of Water Resources Research appear to be incomplete with regard to reporting measurements of an overlooked, yet important, parameter in the interception process, i.e., the amount of rain delivered to the top of the forest stand in which measurements of throughfall and stemflow were carried out. Although the authors note that rainfall was measured in ‘openings’ or ‘clearings,’ they do not report the dimensions, shapes, or aerodynamic characteristics of these gage sites, or any of the other properties known to affect rain gage performance. Neither author ventures an opinion on how measurements made in the openings should be corrected to represent rainfall delivery at the forest top. Without this information, regrettably, Helvey has not demonstrated that ‘interception loss from white pine exceeds loss from mixed hardwoods.’ Nor has Lawson shown that ‘throughfall averaged 84.9% of gross precipitation. The remainder, of course [sic], was intercepted by the forest canopy’; nor has he shown that the throughfall equations reported are applicable even ‘to the stands studied.’ Supplying information on water input to the forest stands examined would help readers in evaluating the data presented by the authors.