<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Interception is one of the most underestimated processes in hydrological cycle in arid and semiarid regions. In Qilian Mountains of northwestern arid and semiarid China, the Qinghai spruce (<italic>Picea crassifolia</italic>) forest plays an important role in the hydrological cycle of the inland Heihe River basin. The historical disturbance of Qinghai spruce forest has resulted in various ecological problems. In order to realize the sustainable development of Heihe River basin, the Chinese government implemented restoration practices for Qinghai spruce in the past three decades. In this study, we estimated the rainfall interception in the actual and potential distribution of Qinghai spruce forest. Some of the important findings include: (1) The interception ratio of rainfall events ranged from 11-51% with a mean value of 27.02%; (2) Totally, 147 Mt of rainfall is intercepted by canopy of actual Qinghai spruce forest, in the projected potential distribution of the forest, totally 407 Mt of rainfall will be intercepted.</p></abstract>

Interception is one of the most underestimated processes in hydrological cycle in arid and semiarid regions. In Qilian Mountains of northwestern arid and semiarid China, the Qinghai spruce (Picea crassifolia) forest plays an important role in the hydrological cycle of the inland Heihe River basin. The historical disturbance of Qinghai spruce forest has resulted in various ecological problems. In order to realize the sustainable development of Heihe River basin, the Chinese government implemented restoration practices for Qinghai spruce in the past three decades. In this study, we estimated the rainfall interception in the actual and potential distribution of Qinghai spruce forest. Some of the important findings include: (1) The interception ratio of rainfall events ranged from 11-51% with a mean value of 27.02%; (2) Totally, 147 Mt of rainfall is intercepted by canopy of actual Qinghai spruce forest, in the projected potential distribution of the forest, totally 407 Mt of rainfall will be intercepted.

The canopy rainfall interception in actual and potential distribution of Qinghai spruce (Picea crassifolia) forest

MOE Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830002, China

College of Resource & Environmental Science, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830002, China

Key Laboratory of City Intellectualizing and Environment Modelling, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830002, China, Tel.: +8618999195490.

College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China

MOE Key Laboratory of Arid and Grassland Agroecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China

Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China

Centre of Botany & Biodiversity Conservation, University of Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 19130 Saidu Sharif, District Swat, Pakistan

Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics

Interception is one of the most underestimated processes in hydrological cycle in arid and semiarid regions. In Qilian Mountains of northwestern arid and...

The canopy rainfall interception in actual and potential distribution of Qinghai spruce (Picea crassifolia) forest

Online veröffentlicht: 15. März 2013

Seitenbereich: 64 - 72

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/johh-2013-0008

This content is open access.