Interception loss by yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) in production systems in Southern Brazil

The partitioning of precipitation into interception, throughfall and stemflow is essential for the hydrological balance in forests, particularly in the Brazilian forest system, regulating the amount of water input and leaf distribution in the ecosystem. This study aimed to present the dynamics of interception loss in yerba mate monoculture, agroforestry and native mixed ombrophilous forest systems, in experimental producing areas in the municipality of Guarapuava, Southern Brazil. The total gross rainfall was 788 mm, distributed in 33 events between July 2019 and March 2020. The throughfall, stemflow and interception loss of rainfall were respectively 78.7, 0.2 and 21.1 % in the native mixed ombrophilous forest; 85.3, 0.1 and 14.6 % in the agroforestry system; and 86.1, 0.3 and 13.6 % in the monoculture system. It was observed that different canopy characteristics influence the variability of rainfall partitioning. The mixed ombrophilous forest showed a higher interception capacity, when compared to the monoculture and agroforestry systems, determined by plant density and meteorological conditions.