Throughfall

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In Hydrology, throughfall is the process which describes how wet leaves shed excess water onto the ground surface. These drops have an erosive power because they are larger than rain drops, however, if they travel a shorter distance their erosive power is reduced. In the case of a high canopy, higher then what is required for the drops to reach terminal velocity, about 8 meters, the erosive power is increased.

Rates of throughfall are higher in areas of forest where the leaves are broad-leaved, this is because the flat leaves allow water to collect. Rates of throughfall are lower in coniferous forests as conifers can only hold individual droplets of water on their needles.

Throughfall can be reduced and prevented through the means of a cutback in green house emissions. It can be reduced because the main cause of throughfall is, in fact, global warming.

Sources

Concepts about Forests and Water by Gordon Stuart, and Pamela J.Edwards

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Last updated on Friday October 12, 2007 at 02:48:38 PDT (GMT -0700)
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