The evaporation of intercepted rainfall from a forest stand: An analysis by simulation

A model of the energy exchange between the atmosphere and a vegetated surface has been developed and used to investigate the sources of energy available for evaporation of precipitation intercepted by a forest canopy. Simulations with this model have demonstrated that a forest canopy wetted by rainfall will partition more of the absorbed radiant energy into latent heat exchange than an unwetted canopy in the same environment. This energy diversion creates a decrease in sensible heat transfer from the canopy to the atmosphere and a smaller decrease in a long‐wave radiation emitted by the canopy.