Guo et al. (2026) Rainfall partitioning and interception simulation for typical species in the Taihang Mountains, China

Identification

• Journal: Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-01-02
• Authors: Bo Guo, Hui Yang, Chunyu Zhu, Zhibang Yan, Jiansheng Cao, Yanjun Shen
• DOI: 10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.111004

Research Groups

• Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water Resources, Hebei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Water-Saving, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang, China
• University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
• College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
• Taihang Mountain Ecological Agriculture Experiment Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences/Eastern Taihang Mountain Forest Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Hebei, China

Short Summary

This study investigated rainfall partitioning (interception loss, throughfall, and stemflow) and its influencing factors among typical species in the Taihang Mountains, China, using field observations and the Revised Gash model. The research found that rainfall amount was the most significant factor affecting partitioning, and economic species exhibited higher interception capacities compared to native species.

Objective

• To investigate rainfall partitioning and its influencing factors among typical species in the Taihang Mountains.
• To parameterize and validate the Revised Gash model for simulating rainfall interception in the region.
• To provide scientific basis for optimizing afforestation strategies and improving water resource management in the Taihang Mountains.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Taihang Mountains, China, focusing on typical species at a specific study site.
• Temporal Scale: Field observation period not explicitly stated, but covers multiple rainfall events for typical species.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Revised Gash model
• Data sources: Field observations of rainfall partitioning (interception loss, throughfall, stemflow) for typical species.

Main Results

• The interception percentage, throughfall percentage, and stemflow percentage of different species ranged from 8.1% to 28.7%, 69.6% to 90.9%, and 0.9% to 10.5% of total rainfall, respectively.
• Rainfall amount was the most significant factor affecting rainfall partitioning, while rainfall duration and intensity had less impact.
• The Revised Gash model was effectively parameterized, with validation model relative errors for simulating typical vegetation interception ranging from -11.9% to 10.2%.
• The Penman-Monteith method (EPM) for calculating average canopy evaporation rate provided better interception loss simulations for P. bungeana, while the mean method (ETF) was recommended for other species.
• Under extreme heavy rainfall events, interception loss ranged from 6.5% to 27.0% among different species. The Revised Gash model parameterized using the mean method (ETF) achieved relative errors ranging from -26.9% to 7.2% for these events.
• Interception loss during and after rainfall accounted for the largest proportion, comprising 92.83% to 98.40% of total interception loss for all species.
• Economic species exhibited higher interception capacities compared to native species.

Contributions

• Provides a comprehensive evaluation of rainfall partitioning for typical species in the Taihang Mountains, a region crucial for ecological restoration.
• Successfully parameterizes and validates the Revised Gash model for the specific regional conditions, including recommendations for canopy evaporation rate calculation methods for different species.
• Highlights the significant role of rainfall amount as a primary driver of partitioning and identifies economic species as having higher interception potential, offering valuable insights for afforestation and water resource management strategies.

Funding

Not explicitly stated in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Guo2026Rainfall,
  author = {Guo, Bo and Yang, Hui and Zhu, Chunyu and Yan, Zhibang and Cao, Jiansheng and Shen, Yanjun},
  title = {Rainfall partitioning and interception simulation for typical species in the Taihang Mountains, China},
  journal = {Agricultural and Forest Meteorology},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.111004},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.111004}
}