A LiDAR ‐driven pruning algorithm to delineate canopy drainage areas of stemflow and throughfall drip points
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: 1. Precipitation channeled down tree stems (stemflow) or into drip points of ‘throughfall’ beneath trees results in spatially concentrated inputs of water and chemicals to the ground. Currently, these flows are poorly characterized due to uncertainties about which branches redirect rainfall to stemflow or throughfall drip points. 2. We introduce a graph theoretic algorithm that ‘prunes’ quantitative structural models of trees (derived from terrestrial LiDAR) to identify branches contributing to stemflow and those contributing to throughfall drip points. To demonstrate the method’s utility, we analyzed two trees with similar canopy sizes but contrasting canopy architecture and rainfall partitioning behaviors. 3. For both trees, the branch ‘watershed’ area contributing to stemflow (under conditions assumed to represent moderate precipitation intensity) was found to be only half of the total ground area covered by the canopy. The study also revealed significant variations between trees in the number and median contribution areas of modeled throughfall drip points (69 v. 94 drip points tree-1, with contributing projected areas of 28.6 v. 7.8 m2 tree-1, respectively). Branch diameter, surface area, volumes, and woody area index (WAI) of components contributing to stemflow and throughfall drip points may play a role in the trees’ differing rainfall partitioning behaviors. 4. Our pruning algorithm, enabled by the proliferation of LiDAR observations of canopy structure, promises to enhance studies of canopy hydrology. It offers a novel approach to refine our understanding of how trees interact with rainfall, thereby broadening the utility of existing LiDAR data in environmental research.
Source: Methods in Ecology and Evolution
Institutions: Cleveland State University, Water Institute of the Gulf
Language: English
Subfield: Environmental Engineering
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,500
Award: G7113144057
OpenAlex ID: W4403236928