Evaporation and condensation dynamics within saturated epiphyte communities in a Quercus virginiana forest coastal Georgia, USA
February 15, 2025 - Raffai, Akosh; Gotsch, Sybil G.; Moore, Althea F. P.; Buck, Clifton S.; Van Stan Ii, John T.
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EmailJournal or Book Title: AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
DOI:10.1016/j.agrformet.2024.110329
Abstract: Rainfall-forest interactions significantly impacts hydrological, ecological, and societal systems by altering rainwater supply to the surface. Canopy surfaces' retention, evaporation, and redistribution of rain affect all storm- related hydrological processes. Arboreal epiphytes, plants that live on forest canopies, can store and evaporate substantial amounts of water, but their role in rainfall partitioning is under-researched compared to bark and leaves. Maritime forests of the southeastern U.S. have abundant epiphyte comunities, largely dominated by the resurrection fern ( Pleopeltis polypodiodes), the bromeliad Spanish moss ( Tillandsia usneoides), and foliose lichens. We assessed saturation time, evaporation during rain-saturated conditions, and condensation input within existing epiphyte vegetation on Quercus virginiana (southern live oak), a dominant host tree species, in the maritime forests on Skidaway Island (Savannah, GA, USA). Epiphyte assemblages were saturated for a median 35 % of the 3-month study. Wet canopy evaporation ranged from 0.06 to 0.42 mm h- 1 , while wet canopy condensation was slightly lower, ranging from 0.01 to 0.15 mm h- 1 . High total evaporation is likely dependent on the ability of epiphyte vegetation to remain saturated for long periods of time. Results from this study provide a basis for detailed ecohydrological research in epiphyte communities.
Type of Publication: Article