African Journal of
Agricultural Research

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Agric. Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1991-637X
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJAR
  • Start Year: 2006
  • Published Articles: 6863

Full Length Research Paper

Distribution of rainwater by species of caatinga vegetation

Ane Cristine Fortes da Silva
  • Ane Cristine Fortes da Silva
  • Department of Technology in Environmental Management, Federal Institute of Paraíba – IFPB, AC Rodovia PB 426, S/N, Sítio Barro Vermelho, CEP: 58755 – 000, Princesa Isabel - PB, Brazil.
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Jacob Silva Souto
  • Jacob Silva Souto
  • Department of Forest Engineering, Federal University of Campina Grande – UFCG, Campus Patos, Brazil.
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Jose Augusto da Silva Santana
  • Jose Augusto da Silva Santana
  • Department of Forest Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte – UFRN, Escola Agrícola de Jundiaí, Brazil.
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Patricia Carneiro Souto
  • Patricia Carneiro Souto
  • Department of Forest Engineering, Federal University of Campina Grande – UFCG, Campus Patos, Brazil.
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Jose Adeilson Medeiros do Nascimento
  • Jose Adeilson Medeiros do Nascimento
  • Department of the Technical Course in Agriculture, Federal Institute of Ceara – IFCE, Campus Tianguá, Brazil.
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  •  Received: 25 September 2015
  •  Accepted: 30 March 2018
  •  Published: 11 October 2018

Abstract

This study aimed to estimate the redistribution of rainfall in a Caatinga vegetation fragment of about 50 years in fallow system, in late stage of regeneration. To quantify the throughfall, rainfall collectors were installed in six individuals of the species Croton blanchetianus, Mimosa tenuiflora, Cnidoscolus quercifolius, Aspidosperma pyrifolium and Poincianella bracteosa, totaling 30 rainfall collectors. For the stemflow, collecting system set around the stems of the six subjects in each of the five selected species was used, consisting of collecting gutters in a spiral. In addition, a rain gauge was installed in an open location to quantify the open precipitation, which during the study period was equal to 1173.56 mm. The C. quercifolius species had the highest average of throughfall; probably this may be related to the peculiarities in relation to architecture and canopy shape. The stemflow has lower shares in gross precipitation in A. pyrifolium and C. quercifolius species, representing 15.25 to 12.48% of the total rainfall, respectively. The values obtained for the interception losses were greater than 60% in all species.

Key words: Forestal hydrology, throughfall, stemflow.