ABSTRACT: Preliminary investigation of the hydrologic importance of bryophyte dominated forest floors in three stands of the Montane Spruce Biogeoclimatic Zone of British Columbia.

CGRG Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology
Search Results

Author :

Date :

Title :

Publication :

Issue :

Page(s) :

Abstract

In three coniferous stands of the Bonaparte Plateau of British Columbia weekly water balances of the red stem moss (Pleurozium schreberi) dominated carpets were derived for the mid-growing-season (Year Day 162 – 225) of 2006. The bryophyte mat water storage capacities of the three stands were determined using laboratory wetting methods. Taking the proportion of forest floor covered by bryophyte carpet into consideration, the laboratory wetting results suggest that water storage at field capacity was 71.3 ± 18.1 m^3 / ha, 79.8 ± 22.8 m^3 ha, and 44.2 ± 12.8 m^3 / ha, within a mature lodegepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) – hybrid spruce (Picea glauca x englemannii) – subalpine fir (Abies lasiocapa) stand, a pine – spruce – fir stand with mountain pine beetle infested trees selectively cut, and a juvenile pine stand (approx. 20 years-old), respectively. Weekly throughfall input to the bryophyte carpet was measured using manually read gauges, while change in carpet water content was determined using in situ gravimetric methods. Drainage from the carpet was assumed to occur if the sum of weekly throughfall and the moss water content at the onset of the week exceeded the carpet field capacity, while weekly evaporation was estimated as: evaporation = throughfall – drainage – change in storage. During the two month study period incident rainfall on the canopies of the three study stands was 61 mm. The interception by and subsequent evaporation from the bryophyte carpets accounted for 53, 55, and 37 % of the combined 37, 35, and 33 mm of canopy + bryophyte carpet interception loss in the mature, selective cut mature, and juvenile stand, respectively. These preliminary results indicate that the hydrologic role of the live bryophyte carpet layer is not inconsequential and should be considered when assessing the hydrologic impacts of the current mountain pine beetle epidemic in western Canada.

Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology