Throughfall
Encyclopedia
In Hydrology
, throughfall is the process which describes how wet leaves shed excess water
onto the ground surface. These drops have an erosive power because they are larger than rain
drops, however, if they travel a shorter distance their erosive power is reduced. In the case of a high canopy, higher than what is required for the drops to reach terminal velocity
, about 8 meters, the erosive power is increased.
Rates of throughfall are higher in areas of forest
where the leaves are broad-leaved, this is because the flat leaves allow water to collect. Rates of throughfall are lower in coniferous forests as conifers can only hold individual droplets of water on their needles.
Hydrology
Hydrology is the study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water on Earth and other planets, including the hydrologic cycle, water resources and environmental watershed sustainability...
, throughfall is the process which describes how wet leaves shed excess water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
onto the ground surface. These drops have an erosive power because they are larger than rain
Rain
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface...
drops, however, if they travel a shorter distance their erosive power is reduced. In the case of a high canopy, higher than what is required for the drops to reach terminal velocity
Terminal velocity
In fluid dynamics an object is moving at its terminal velocity if its speed is constant due to the restraining force exerted by the fluid through which it is moving....
, about 8 meters, the erosive power is increased.
Rates of throughfall are higher in areas of forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
where the leaves are broad-leaved, this is because the flat leaves allow water to collect. Rates of throughfall are lower in coniferous forests as conifers can only hold individual droplets of water on their needles.
See also
- StemflowStemflowIn hydrology, stemflow is the flow of intercepted water down the trunk or stem of a plant. Stemflow, along with throughfall, are responsible for the transferral of precipitation and nutrients from the canopy to the soil. In tropical rainforests, where this kind of flow can be substantial, erosion...
- Canopy interceptionInterception (water)Interception refers to precipitation that does not reach the soil, but is instead intercepted by the leaves and branches of plants and the forest floor. It occurs in the canopy , and in the forest floor or litter layer...