Characteristics and Simulation of Snow Interception by the Canopy of Korean Pine Forests in the Xiaoxing'an Mountains of China

【Objective】This study aims to characterize snowfall outside forest, penetrated snowfall inside forest, and canopy intercepted snow, and hence to deepen understanding of the effects of forest canopy on snowfall interception and the penetrated snowfall in Korean pine forests in the Xiaoxing'an Mountains.【Method】Characteristics of snowfall outside forest, penetrated snowfall inside forest, and stand structure were measured in 2 successive years using positioning observations. A semi-empirical theoretical model was used to introduce and conduct snow interception simulations at the stand level in the Xiaoxing'an Mountains region. 【Result】During the winter period from November 2013 to April 2014 and November 2014 to April 2015, 17 snowfall events were observed, and the average total amount of snowfall each time was 10.3 mm, the average intensity of snowfall was 4.41 mm•d-1, and the average through-snowfall each time was 7.4 mm, with an average proportion of through-snowfall of 69.3%. Through-snowfall and through-snowfall rate increased with the increase of snowfall. Snow interception and fall showed a strong power function correlation, but snow interception and canopy density showed a strong negative correlation(P<0.05). Snow interception efficiency and snowfall showed a negative exponent function correlation(P<0.05). This study demonstrates the limitations of the forest canopy in its capacity to intercept snow. Snow interception efficiency gradually decreases with the increase of snowfall and is particularly sensitive to the amount of snowfall and canopy density(P<0.05), although it shows no significant correlations with average diameter at breast height, tree height, basal area, canopy height, canopy width, leaf area, or slope gradient. 【Conclusion】 Snowfall and canopy density have a significant effect on the canopy interception. Snowfall, average diameter at breast height, canopy density, tree height, and slope gradient have a significant effect on through-snowfall. The Pomeroys interception model and the revised one provide a satisfactory simulation of snow interception of Korean pine forest in the Xiaoxing'an Mountains. © 2021, Editorial Department of Scientia Silvae Sinicae. All right reserved.