Comparative estimates of interception loss from three coniferous forests in Great Britain

Abstract

Measurements of rainfall interception from three coniferous forests in Great Britain are compared with estimates of the evaporation made with two conceptual models, the Rutter model and an analytical model of interception loss, using data from automatic weather stations mounted above the forests. Estimates of the mean evaporation rate from a saturated canopy are derived by optimisation, to determine an empirical value of this parameter for future use at sites where no meteorological data are available.