| In central Ontario the water relations of the forest floor in an upland black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) stand were examined in order to assess the relative effects of the feather moss carpet and the other organic layers on precipitation interception, loss of water to evaporation, and water drainage.;Only during 5 measurable rainfalls did water infiltrate completely through the lowest organic layer, where most of the black spruce roots are located, and into mineral soil.;It is believed that during this unusually dry summer, the trees probably experienced the effects of water shortage. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).;In general, the top layer, Lm, of moss and litter intercepted 0.30 cm of most rainfalls, the middle layer, F, of decomposed moss and spruce needles and the lowest layer, H, of humified material intercepted 0.10 cm each. Over the summer season, the Lm, F, and H layers intercepted 23.5%, 8.5%, and 9.3%, respectively, of a total of 9.08 cm of water input to the forest floor. The laboratory saturation content of the Lm layer suggests that the moss carpet never approached full storage capacity in the field. |
