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50 - Comparative water budgets of a lower and an upper montane cloud forest in the Wet Tropics of northern Australia

from Part V - Cloud forest water use, photosynthesis, and effects of forest conversion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 May 2011

By
D. L. McJannet ,
J. S. Wallace  and
P. Reddell
Edited by
L. A. Bruijnzeel ,
F. N. Scatena  and
L. S. Hamilton
D. L. McJannet
Affiliation:
CSIRO Land and Water, Australia
J. S. Wallace
Affiliation:
CSIRO Land and Water, Australia
P. Reddell
Affiliation:
CSIRO Land and Water, Australia
L. A. Bruijnzeel
Affiliation:
Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam
F. N. Scatena
Affiliation:
University of Pennsylvania
L. S. Hamilton
Affiliation:
Cornell University, New York
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Summary

ABSTRACT

This chapter presents a comparison of the water budgets of a lower and an upper montane cloud forest in Australia's Wet Tropics region based on field measurements of rainfall, throughfall (TF), stemflow (SF), transpiration, and cloud water interception (CWI). The proportions of total precipitation measured as TF and SF varied between the two sites. At the lower montane cloud forest site (Upper Barron), SF was 7% while TF was just 64%. The upper montane cloud forest site (Bellenden Ker) showed higher SF at 10% while TF was also high at 83%. CWI at the two sites was quantified using a wet-canopy water balance methodology and was found to contribute up to 65% of the monthly water input during dry season months. At Upper Barron, CWI was 19% of average annual precipitation while at Bellenden Ker it was as much as 29%. These measurements resulted in an overall canopy interception evaporation loss of 29% at Upper Barron and just 7% at Bellenden Ker. About 20% of total precipitation was lost through transpiration at Upper Barron and just 5% at Bellenden Ker. Transpiration losses were less than water losses through wet-canopy evaporation at both sites. Both sites have a large annual net surplus of water to sustain streamflow and groundwater recharge. Total evaporation losses at Upper Barron accounted for about 50% of total precipitation input, leaving 50% for runoff and groundwater recharge. […]

Type
Chapter
Information
Tropical Montane Cloud Forests
Science for Conservation and Management
 , pp. 479 - 490
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

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