Estimating canopy ecohydrological parameters of a Picea abies stand in the Caspian forests, North of Iran

The aim of this research was to estimate the ecohydological parameters of the canopy covers including estimated canopy saturation point (P´G Estimated), canopy storage capacity (S), the ratio of mean evaporation rate from the wet canopy to the mean rainfall intensity ( ), free throughfall coefficient (p), computed canopy saturation point (P´G), and stemflow funneling ratio (F) of a Picea abies plantation in Lajim, Mazanderan province, north of Iran. To measure throuhgfall (TF), 45 rain-gauges were installed beneath the crown of the stand. Stemflow (SF) was measured using the average of 12 individual trees equaled to the SF amount. Over the measurement period, the cumulative percentage of TF, SF, and rainfall interception (I) were 41.0%, 5.1%, and 53.9%, respectively. The abovementioned ecohydrological parameters were found to be 4.2 mm, 3.54 mm, 0.38, 0.18, 5.90 mm, and 4.6, respectively. The ecohydrological parameters should be considered while converting natural stands to plantations of exotic tree species as this altering would be alter soil humidity, soil pedogenesis, and forest floor composition.