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Rainfall interception of three trees in Oakland, California

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Abstract

A rainfall interception study was conducted in Oakland, California to determine the partitioning of rainfall and the chemical composition of precipitation, throughfall, and stemflow. Rainfall interception measurements were conducted on a gingko (Ginkgo biloba) (13.5 m tall deciduous tree), sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) (8.8 m tall deciduous), and lemon tree (Citrus limon) (2.9 m tall broadleaf evergreen). The lemon, ginkgo, and sweet gum intercepted 27.0%, 25.2% and 14.3% of gross precipitation, respectively. The lemon tree was most effective because it retained its foliage year-round, storing more winter rainfall than the leafless ginkgo and sweet gum trees. Stemflow was more important for the leafless sweet gum. Because of its excurrent growth habit and smooth bark, 4.1% of annual rainfall flowed to the ground as stemflow, compared to less than 2.1% for the lemon and 1.0% for the ginkgo. Water samples were collected from throughfall, stemflow, and a nearby control site to measure concentrations of nutrients and heavy metals. Compared to the control, samples from under trees had higher concentrations of nutrients and metals (e.g., N, P, K, Zn and Cr), indicating that atmospheric deposition to tree crowns was a major source of pollutants. Nutrient and metal concentrations were highest in gingko tree’s throughfall. Its rough stem surfaces and dense branching pattern appeared to trap more pollutions than the other two trees.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported in part by funds provided by the California State Water Resources Control Board. We thank Dr. James Simpson, Jim R. Geiger, Gregory Tarver Jr., and Kelaine Vargas of the USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station’s Urban Ecosystems and Social Dynamics Program for their support in this project. We appreciate Aihua Jiang of Department of Land, Air, and Water Resources, University of California Davis for providing assistance in water sample analysis. We also thank Kemba Shakur, Ashley Duval, and Kevin Jefferson of Urban ReLeaf, Oakland, California for providing assistance with in collecting water samples.

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  1. Hydrologic Sciences Program, Department of Land, Air, and Water Resources, University of California, 1731 Research Park Dr., Davis, CA, 95618, USA

    Qingfu Xiao

  2. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Urban Ecosystems & Social Dynamics Program, Davis, CA, 95618, USA

    E. Gregory McPherson

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  1. Qingfu Xiao
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  2. E. Gregory McPherson
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Correspondence to Qingfu Xiao.

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Xiao, Q., McPherson, E.G. Rainfall interception of three trees in Oakland, California. Urban Ecosyst 14, 755–769 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-011-0192-5

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