Abstract

Water losses from snow intercepted by forest canopy can significantly influence the hydrological cycle in seasonally snow-covered regions, yet how snow interception losses (SIL) are influenced by a changing climate are poorly understood. In this study, we used a unique 30 year record (1986-2015) of snow accumulation and snow water equivalent measurements in a mature mixed coniferous (Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris) forest stand and an adjacent open area to assess how changes in weather conditions influence SIL. Given little change in canopy cover during this study, the 20% increase in SIL was likely the result of changes in winter weather conditions. However, there was no significant change in average wintertime precipitation and temperature during the study period. Instead, mean monthly temperature values increased during the early winter months (i.e., November and December), whereas there was a significant decrease in precipitation in March. We also assessed how daily variation in meteorological variables influenced SIL and found that about 50% of the variation in SIL was correlated to the amount of precipitation that occurred when temperatures were lower than -3 degrees C and to the proportion of days with mean daily temperatures higher than +0.4 degrees C. Taken together, this study highlights the importance of understanding the appropriate time scale and thresholds in which weather conditions influence SIL in order to better predict how projected climate change will influence snow accumulation and hydrology in boreal forests in the future.

Keywords

boreal forest; forest hydrology; interception; long-term study; snow water equivalent; water cycle

Published in

Hydrological Processes
2017, Volume: 31, number: 20, pages: 3558-3567
Publisher: WILEY

SLU Authors

• Kozii, Nataliia

  • Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Laudon, Hjalmar

  • Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Ottosson Löfvenius, Mikaell

  • Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Hasselquist, Niles

  • Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Sustainable Development Goals

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts


UKÄ Subject classification

Oceanography, Hydrology, Water Resources
Climate Research


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.11277

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/93233