Canopy interception estimates in a Norway spruce forest and their importance for hydrological modelling
Abstract
This study presents a comparison of several interception modelling approaches and their impact on the simulation of discharge, soil moisture content and groundwater level using the Hydrologiska Byråns Vattenbalansavdelning (HBV)-light model. The study was based on 10-year measurements of interception loss in a mature Norway spruce forest.
The interception modelled by the subtraction of the constant value from each individual rainfall event was proved to be the most efficient. The root mean square error (RMSE) between observed and simulated discharge increased by 5-6% compared to the reference model run, no differences in the soil moisture were observed and an increase in RMSE of 11% was observed concerning the groundwater level.
The transpiration rate was overestimated by 3-5% on average. The study proved that even simple interception models can serve efficiently for hydrological modelling tasks focused on the simulation of particular water fluxes in forested catchments.