Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Methodology to estimate variations in solar radiation reaching densely forested slopes in mountainous terrain

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
International Journal of Biometeorology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Solar radiation reaching densely forested slopes is one of the main factors influencing the water balance between the atmosphere, tree stands and the soil. It also has a major impact on site productivity, spatial arrangement of vegetation structure as well as forest succession. This paper presents a methodology to estimate variations in solar radiation reaching tree stands in a small mountain valley. Measurements taken in three inter-forest meadows unambiguously showed the relationship between the amount of solar insolation and the shading effect caused mainly by the contour of surrounding tree stands. Therefore, appropriate knowledge of elevation, aspect and tilt angles of the analysed planes had to be taken into consideration during modelling. At critical times, especially in winter, the diffuse and reflected components of solar radiation only reached some of the sites studied as the beam component of solar radiation was totally blocked by the densely forested mountain slopes in the neighbourhood. The cross-section contours and elevation angles of all obstructions are estimated from a digital surface model including both digital elevation model and the height of tree stands. All the parameters in a simplified, empirical model of the solar insolation reaching a given horizontal surface within the research valley are dependent on the sky view factor (SVF). The presented simplified, empirical model and its parameterisation scheme should be easily adaptable to different complex terrains or mountain valleys characterised by diverse geometry or spatial orientation. The model was developed and validated (R 2 = 0.92 , σ = 0.54) based on measurements taken at research sites located in the Silesian Beskid Mountain Range. A thorough understanding of the factors determining the amount of solar radiation reaching woodlands ought to considerably expand the knowledge of the water exchange balance within forest complexes as well as the estimation of site productivity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bouchter J-F, Bernier PY, Munson AD (2001) Radiation and soil temperature interactions on the growth and physiology of eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) seedlings. Plant Soil 236:165–174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen JM, Blanken PD, Black TA, Guilbeault M, Chen S (1997) Radiation regime and canopy architecture in a boreal aspen forest. Agric For Meteorol 86(1–2):107–125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coops NC, Waring RH, Moncrieff JB (2000) Estimating mean monthly incident solar radiation on horizontal and inclined slopes from mean monthly temperatures extremes. Int J Biometeorol 44:204–211

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Duffie JA, Beckman WA (1991) Solar engineering of thermal processes. Willey, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Dziadowiec H, Pokojska U, Prusinkiewicz Z (2004) Materia organiczna, koloidy i roztwór glebowy jako przedmiot badan ´ specjalistycznych. In: Bednarek R, Dziadowiec H, Pokojska U, Prusinkiewicz Z (eds) Badania Ekologiczno-gleboznawcze. PWN, Warszawa, pp. 113–245

    Google Scholar 

  • Ediriweera S, Singhakumara BMP, Ashton MS (2008) Variation in canopy structure, light and soil nutrition across elevation of a Sri Lankan tropical rain forest. For Ecol Manag 256:1339–1349

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Galicia L, López-Blanco J, Zarco-Arista AE, Filips V, Garcı́a-Oliva F (1999) The relationship between solar radiation interception and soil water content in a tropical deciduous forest in Mexico. Catena 36(1–2):153–164

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Grayson SF, Buckley DS, Henning JG, Schweitzer CJ, Gottschalk KW, Loftis DL (2012) Understory light regimes following silvicultural treatments in central hardwood forests in Kentucky, USA. For Ecol Manag 279:66–76

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holst T, Mayer H (2005) Radiation components of beech stands in Southwest Germany. Meteorol Z 14:107–115

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holst T, Hauser S, Kirchgäßner A, Matzarakis A, Mayer H, Schindler D (2004) Measuring and modelling plant area index in beech stands. Int J Biometeorol 48:192–201

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Holst T, Rost J, Mayer H (2005) Net radiation balance for two forested slopes on opposite sides of a valley. Int J Biometeorol 49:275–284. doi:10.1007/s00484-004-0251-1

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Iqbal M (1983) An introduction to solar radiation. Academic Press, Toronto

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee C (2009) An overview of the requirements and operational issues, derived from the BSRN. Operations manual version 2.1. Kipp & Zonen. http://www.kippzonen.com/Download/124/Scientific-Solar-Monitoring-Station-BSRN-requirements

  • Liu BYH, Jordan RC (1963) The long term average performance of flat-plate solar-energy collectors. Sol Energy 7:53

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mayer H, Holst T, Schindler D (2002) Microclimate within beech stands—part I: photo-synthetically active radiation. Forstwiss Centralbl 121:301–321 (in German)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Piedallu C, Gégout J-C (2008) Efficient assessment of topographic solar radiation to improve plant distribution models. Agric For Meteorol 148(11):1696–1706

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pluta Z (2000) Podstawy teoretyczne fototermicznej konwersji energii słonecznej. Oficyna Wydawnicza Politechniki Warszawskiej, Warszawa

    Google Scholar 

  • Pons TL (2000) Seed responses to light. In: Fenner M (ed) Seeds, the ecology of regeneration in plant communities, 2nd edn. C.A.B. International, Wallingford, pp. 237–260

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Promis A, Schindler D, Reif A, Cruz G (2009) Solar radiation transmission in and around canopy gaps in an uneven-aged Nothofagus betuloides forest. Int J Biometeorol 53:355–367. doi:10.1007/s00484-009-0222-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Puchalski T, Prusinkiewicz Z (1975) Ekologiczne podstawy siedliskoznawstwa leśnego. PWRiL, Warszawa

    Google Scholar 

  • Şen Z (2008) Solar energy fundamentals and modeling techniques: atmosphere, environment, climate change and renewable energy. Springer-Verlag London Ltd, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Tajchman SJ (1984) Distribution of the radiative index of dryness and forest site quality in a mountainous watershed. Can J For Res 14(5):717–721

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tian YQ, Davies-Colley RJ, Gong P, Thorrold BW (2001) Estimating solar radiation on slopes of arbitrary aspect. Agric For Meteorol 109:67–74

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vose J, Allen H L (1988) Leaf area, stemwood growth, and nutrition relationships in loblolly pine. For Sci 34:547–563

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang Q, Tenhunen J, Schmidt M, Kolcun O, Droesler M, Reichstein M (2006) Estimation of total, direct and diffuse PAR under clear skies in complex alpine terrain of the National Park Berchtesgaden, Germany. Ecol Model 196(1–2):149–162

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wężyk P, Szostak M, Tompalski P (2013) Use of airborne laser scanning data for a revision and update of a digital forest map and its descriptive database: a case study from the Tatra National Park. In: Kozak J et al. (eds) The carpathians: integrating nature and society towards sustainability, environmental science and engineering. Springer-Verlag, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson KB, Hanson PJ, Baldocchi DD (2000) Factors controlling evaporation and energy partitioning beneath a deciduous forest over an annual cycle. Agric For Meteorol 102:83–103. doi:10.1016/S0168-1923(00)00124-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yard MD, Bennett GE, Mietz SN, Coggins LG Jr, Stevens LE, Hueftle S, Blinn DW (2005) Influence of topographic complexity on solar insolation estimates for the Colorado River, Grand Canyon, AZ. Ecol Model 183:157–172

Download references

Acknowledgments

Funding support for this research was provided by National Science Centre (NCN), Poland (Award No. N N309 427338).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electronics, AGH University of Science and Technology, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-056, Kraków, Poland

    Przemysław Sypka

  2. Department of Forest Engineering, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Al. 29 Listopada 46, 31-425, Kraków, Poland

    Rafał Starzak & Krzysztof Owsiak

Authors
  1. Przemysław Sypka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Rafał Starzak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Krzysztof Owsiak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Przemysław Sypka.

Electronic supplementary material

ESM 1

(DOCX 116 kb)

ESM 2

(DOCX 143 kb)

ESM 3

(DOCX 301 kb)

ESM 4

(DOCX 59 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Sypka, P., Starzak, R. & Owsiak, K. Methodology to estimate variations in solar radiation reaching densely forested slopes in mountainous terrain. Int J Biometeorol 60, 1983–1994 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-016-1185-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-016-1185-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation