Role of canopy interception on water and nutrient cycling in Chinese fir plantation ecosystem

Abstract

The role of canopy interception on nutrient cycling in Chinese fir plantation ecosystem was studied on the basis of the position data during four years. Results indicate that the average canopy interception amount was 267.0 mm/year. Canopy interception play a significant role in water cycle and nutrient cycle processes in ecosystem, and was an important part of evaporation from the Chinese fir plantation ecosystem, being up to 27.2%. The evaporation from the canopy interception was an important way of water output from ecosystem, up to 19.9%. The flush-eluviation of branches and leaves caused by canopy interception brought nutrient input of 143.629 kg/(hm² · year), which was 117.2% of the input 63.924 kg/(hm² · year) from the atmospheric precipitation. The decreased amount of 80.1 mm precipitation input caused by canopy interception reduced the amount of rainfall into the stand surface and infiltration into the soil, reduced the output with runoff and drainage, and decreased nutrient loss through output water. Therefore, the additional preserve of nutrient by canopy interception was 8.664 kg/(hm² · year).