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

Perda por interceptação em sistemas de produção de erva-mate (Ilex paraguariensis) no Sul do Brasil

ABSTRACT

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, stemfow 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 diferent canopy characteristics infuence 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.

KEYWORDS:
Agroforestry; ecohydrology; mixed ombrophilous forest

RESUMO

A partição da precipitação em interceptação, precipitação interna e escoamento pelo tronco é essencial para o equilíbrio hídrico em forestas, especialmente no sistema forestal brasileiro, regulando a quantidade de entrada de água e a distribuição de folhas no ecossistema. Objetivou-se apresentar a dinâmica de perda por interceptação em sistemas de monocultura, agroforesta e foresta ombrófla mista nativa de erva-mate, em áreas experimentais de produção no município de Guarapuava, no Sul do Brasil. A chuva total foi de 788 mm, distribuída em 33 eventos entre julho de 2019 e março de 2020. A precipitação interna, escoamento pelo tronco e perda por interceptação da precipitação foram, respectivamente, de 78,7; 0,2; e 21,1 % na foresta ombrófla mista nativa; 85,3; 0,1; e 14,6 % no sistema agroforestal; e 86,1; 0,3; e 13,6 % no sistema de monocultura. Observou-se que diferentes características de dossel infuenciam a variabilidade na partição da precipitação. A foresta ombrófla mista apresentou capacidade de interceptação superior, em comparação aos sistemas de monocultura e agroforesta, determinada pela densidade de plantas e condições meteorológicas.

PALAVRAS-CHAVE:
Agrofloresta; ecohidrologia; floresta ombrófla mista

INTRODUCTION

The yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) cultivation plays an important role in the economy of producing countries, due to its economic, social and cultural aspects (Vestena & Santos 2022VESTENA, L. R.; SANTOS, E. R. Dinâmica têmporo-espacial da territorialização de produção da erva-mate (Ilex paraguariensis) no Brasil de 2008 a 2018. Revista Franco-Brasileira de Geografa, v. 55, e45469, 2022.). Yerba mate belongs to the Aquifoliaceae family and is a native South American tree found mainly in Argentina, Paraguay and the southern states of Brazil (Heck & Mejia 2007HECK, C. I.; MEJIA, E. G. Yerba mate tea (Ilex paraguariensis): a comprehensive review on chemistry, health implications, and technological considerations. Journal of Food Science, v. 72, n. 9, p. 138-151, 2007., Gawron-Gzella et al. 2021GAWRON-GZELLA, A.; CHANAJ-KACZMAREK, J.; CIELECKA-PIONTEK, J. Yerba mate: a long but current history. Nutrients, v. 13, n. 11, e3706, 2021.), which extract yerba mate for the domestic market and exportation.

The yerba mate plant presents particular plasticity depending on the type of soil, altitude and temperature, which can afect the leaf composition (Magri et al. 2022MAGRI, E.; BARBOSA, J. Z.; CORRÊA, R. S.; AULER, A. C.; VALDUGA, A. T.; MOTTA, A. C. V. Linking edaphoclimatic condition with elementar composition of yerba mate leaves in South America. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, v. 107, e104360, 2022.). The main production forms is by extractivism, harvesting leaves and branches in a natural environment, as it is an endemic species of the native mixed ombrophilous forest (Atlantic Forest); cultivation in agroforestry system, from planting new seedlings inside the native mixed ombrophilous forest, also called yerba mate densifcation; and cultivation in monoculture system.

Thus, the interest in research on yerba mate has expanded in recent years, but little is known about the positive and negative impacts of rainwater redistribution by yerba mate, since the vegetation in forest environments is an important redistributor of rainwater on ecosystems, and studies on interception loss in annual and perennial crops have been recurrent in recent decades (Antoneli et al. 2021ANTONELI, V.; JESUS, F. C.; BEDNARZ, J. A.; THOMAZ, E. L. Stemfow and throughfall in agricultural crops: a synthesis. Ambiente & Água, v. 16, n. 1, e2528, 2021.). Interception loss is the amount of rainfall that is intercepted, stored and subsequently evaporated from all parts of the vegetation during or after rainfall (Cui & Jia 2014CUI, Y.; JIA, L. A modifed gash model for estimating rainfall interception loss of forest using remote sensing observations at regional scale. Water, v. 6, n. 4, p. 993-1012, 2014.).

Rainfall partitioning depends on climatic factors and tree characteristics, such as rainfall amount and intensity, wind speed, mean annual temperature and especially the type of vegetation formation: dominant species, density and degree of stratifcation (Crockford & Richardson 2000CROCKFORD, R. J.; RICHARDSON, D. P. Partitioning of rainfall into throughfall, stemfow and interception: efect of forest type, ground cover and climate. Hydrological Processes, v. 14, n. 16, p. 2903-2920, 2000.). These three fuxes can be altered by various biophysical and anthropogenic factors, and exploring biophysical controls on interception loss and soil water input aids in understanding changes in the soil and water drainage dynamics (Magliano et al. 2019MAGLIANO, P. N.; WHITWORTH-HULSE, J. I.; FLORIO, E. L.; AGUIRRE, E. C.; BLANCO, L. J. Interception loss, throughfall and stemfow by Larrea divaricata: the role of rainfall characteristics and plant morphological attributes. Ecological Research, v. 34, n. 6, p. 753-764, 2019.).

Thus, this study aimed to analyze the impacts of yerba mate production systems on the redistribution of rainwater on the soil, providing information that can support a more rational use and management of forests, through the adoption of practices that enable conservation and environmental preservation.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study was carried out in a yerba mate growing area in the municipality of Guarapuava, Paraná state, Brazil (between 25°21’53” and 25°23’01”S, 51°17’21” and 51°18’49”W, and altitude of 1,186 m), from July 2019 to march 2020. The climate of the region is Cfb (temperate climate), with cool summers, moderate winters and no dry season, with average annual temperature of 17.5 °C (Thomaz & Vestena 2003THOMAZ, E. L.; VESTENA, L. R. Aspectos climáticos de Guarapuava - PR. Guarapuava: Unicentro, 2003.) and average annual rainfall (1991-2021) of 1,872.6 ± 300.7 (IAT 2023INSTITUTO ÁGUA E TERRA (IAT). Sistema de informações hidrológicas: relatório de alturas mensais de precipitação. 2023. Available at: https://www.iat.pr.gov.br. Access in: Jan. 2023.
https://www.iat.pr.gov.br...
). The months with the highest average rainfall were January (216.5 mm) and October (218.6 mm), and the lowest was August (93.7 mm).

The evaluated yerba mate trees (aged from 25 to 28 years old) were located in three areas: monoculture, agroforestry and native mixed ombrophilous forest (Figure 1). The trees in the monoculture and agroforestry areas had an average spacing of 4 m, while, in the native mixed ombrophilous forest, it had an irregular distribution. A total of 8 trees (fve Ilex paraguariensis, one Araucaria angustifolia and two Campomanesia xanthocarpa) were used in the experiment.

Figure 1
Yerba mate production systems (MO: monoculture; AGF: agroforestry; N-MOF: native mixed ombrophilous forest).

The yerba mate monoculture system involves the exclusive cultivation of this plant, providing a high production in a specifc area, but susceptible to challenges such as pests and diseases (Santos et al. 2022SANTOS, E. R.; VESTENA, L. R.; BELMONTE SERRATO, F. The role of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) in the redistribution of rainfall by interception. RA’EGA, v. 55, n. 1, p. 78-92, 2022., Santos et al. 2023SANTOS, E. R.; VESTENA, L. R.; RIBEIRO FILHO, J. C. Modeling vegetation interception under natural rainfall in yerba mate production systems. Revista Brasileira de Recursos Hídricos, v. 28, e20, 2023.). On the other hand, the yerba mate agroforestry aims to integrate yerba mate with other plant species, promoting a more sustainable and diversifed approach that benefts the soil, biodiversity and ecosystem resilience (Ávila Junior et al. 2016ÁVILA JUNIOR, R. S.; DALAZEN, D. F.; LORENTZ, L. H.; POLETTO, I.; STEFENON, V. M. Efects of diferent cultivation systems in leaf traits and herbivory damage in Ilex paraguariensis (Aquifoliaceae). Brazilian Journal of Botany, v. 39, n. 1, p. 219-223, 2016., Urruth et al. 2022URRUTH, L. M.; BASSI, J. B.; CHEMELLO, D. Policies to encourage agroforestry in the Southern Atlantic Forest. Land Use Policy, v. 112, e105802, 2022.). Meanwhile, the mixed ombrophilous forest represents a more natural scenario, where yerba mate coexists with a wide variety of native trees and plants in a balanced ecosystem, favoring biodiversity conservation and the maintenance of ecosystem services (Penteado Junior & Goulart 2017PENTEADO JUNIOR, J. F.; GOULART, I. C. G. R. Poda em erva-mate plantada. Colombo: Embrapa Florestas, 2017., Vestena & Santos 2022VESTENA, L. R.; SANTOS, E. R. Dinâmica têmporo-espacial da territorialização de produção da erva-mate (Ilex paraguariensis) no Brasil de 2008 a 2018. Revista Franco-Brasileira de Geografa, v. 55, e45469, 2022.). These approaches refect on diverse forms of human interaction with yerba mate, ranging from intensive practices to more integrated and sustainable models.

Management practices such as pruning are performed every two years on Ilex paraguariensis. Pruning involves cutting the branches and leaves at 10-15 cm above the ground, with the help of electric shears and saws, aiming to acquire a good quality raw material and make the remaining branches form well-structured, productive and healthy canopies (Siles et al. 2010SILES, P.; VAAST, P.; DREYER, E.; HARMAND, J.-M. Rainfall partitioning into throughfall, stemfow and interception loss in a cofee (Cofea arabica L.) monoculture compared to an agroforestry system with Inga densifora. Journal of Hydrology, v. 395, n. 1, p. 39-48, 2010., Penteado Junior & Goulart 2017PENTEADO JUNIOR, J. F.; GOULART, I. C. G. R. Poda em erva-mate plantada. Colombo: Embrapa Florestas, 2017.). The last prunings performed in the study area took place in August 2018 and March 2020.

Meteorological data for relative humidity, temperature, wind direction and speed, and atmospheric pressure were monitored by an automatic weather station (brand MI-SOL, model WS-2600-1) installed in an open area at 80 m from the monoculture area and at 100 m from the agroforestry and mixed ombrophilous forest, installed at 4 m above the ground. The rainfall events were defned as those with rainfall exceeding 1 mm, also taking into account that each event was characterized by the absence of rain for a minimum period of 24 hours.

The throughfall in monoculture was measured using the same hand-held rain collector model used for rainfall measurement, passing through the vegetation, with the rain gauges distributed in a radial pattern below the yerba mate canopy. In this area, three trees were chosen to represent the crop. In each tree, 18 rain gauges (total of 54 rain gauges) were distributed around the trunk. The internal rainfall value was measured with the same method as the gross rainfall (total volume of gross rainfall multiplied by the collector area). The throughfall for each event was calculated using the throughfall collected from all collectors (Kaushal et al. 2017KAUSHAL, R.; KUMAR, A.; ALAM, N. M.; MANDAL, D.; JAYAPARKASH, J.; TOMAR, J. M. S.; GUPTA, A. K.; MEHTA, H.; PANWAR, P.; CHATURVED, O. P.; MISHRA, P. K. Efect of diferent canopy management practices on rainfall partitioning in Morus alba. Ecological Engineering, v. 102, n. 1, p. 374-380, 2017.).

The throughfall under forest cover is highly variable from one point to another, especially at drip sites in areas with overlapping canopies. Llorens et al. (1997)LLORENS, P.; POCH, R.; LATRON, J.; GALLASRT, F. Rainfall interception by a Pinus sylvestris forest patch overgrown in a Mediterranean mountainous abandoned area: I. Monitoring design and results down to the event scale. Journal of Hydrology, v. 199, n. 3-4, p. 331-345, 1997. and Rowe et al. (1999)ROWE, L. K.; MARDEN, M.; ROWAN, D. Interception and throughfall in a regenerating stand of kanuka (Kunzea ericoides var. Ericoides), East Coast Region, North Island, New Zealand, and implications for soil conservation. Journal of Hydrology, v. 38, n. 1, p. 29-48, 1999. point out that the gutters have a larger catchment area, and because of their rectangular shape, they make it possible to measure throughfall in areas with diferent canopy overlaps. Thus, diferently from the method used to measure the throughfall in the monoculture area, in the agroforestry and mixed ombrophilous forest systems, six gutters (2.00 x 0.13 m) were used, four of which were installed in the agroforestry and two in the mixed ombrophilous forest areas. The throughfall for each event was calculated using the internal rainfall collected from all the gutters in their respective areas (Santos et al. 2023SANTOS, E. R.; VESTENA, L. R.; RIBEIRO FILHO, J. C. Modeling vegetation interception under natural rainfall in yerba mate production systems. Revista Brasileira de Recursos Hídricos, v. 28, e20, 2023.).

The stemflow was collected from eight randomly selected trees using either spiral or collar/funnel-type collectors. The spiral-type collectors were used on trunks larger than 55 cm in diameter and the collar-type collectors on trunks smaller than 55 cm in diameter. The collars were adjusted to the trunk shape and sealed with silicone. The stemfow was diverted from the collars to a collection container with storage capacity of 5-20 L, using ½” diameter PVC hoses (Santos et al. 2023SANTOS, E. R.; VESTENA, L. R.; RIBEIRO FILHO, J. C. Modeling vegetation interception under natural rainfall in yerba mate production systems. Revista Brasileira de Recursos Hídricos, v. 28, e20, 2023.). The corresponding stemfow amount from each selected tree was calculated by dividing the stemfow volume by the crown area. The trees in the experiment were distributed as it follows: three Ilex paraguariensis in the monoculture area; two Ilex paraguariensis, one Araucaria angustifolia and one Campomanesia xanthocarpa in the agroforestry area; and one Campomanesia xanthocarpa in the mixed ombrophilous forest.

Descriptive statistics were used in the analysis of rainfall partitioning flows (percentage values of interception loss, throughfall and stemfow) at each rainfall event. Linear regression from rainfall to throughfall, stemfow and interception loss was plotted using the rainfall volume data from each area. Analyses of variance followed by the Tukey multiple comparison test at 0.05 were performed to determine significant difference means. The tabulation and statistical analysis were performed using the Microsoft Ofce and SigmaPlot R 12.0 softwares (Systat Software Inc.).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The gross rainfall over the study period (2019-2020) was 788 mm, with minimum and maximum rainfall of 2.5 mm and 61.1 mm, respectively. The highest rainfall events occurred above 10 mm, thus showing an uneven distribution over the months. According to the accumulated rainfall, 426.3 mm occurred in the spring (54.1 %), 204.5 mm in the summer (26 %) and 157.1 mm in the winter (19.9 %). In the recent study period, the Paraná region experienced a notable disparity in rainfall data, in relation to historical data. The analysis revealed a defcit of 41.6 %, when compared to historical data (1,892.2 mm), a phenomenon mainly attributed to the so-called “veranicos” (period of drought accompanied by intense heat, strong sunshine and low relative humidity) that hit the region during the analyzed period (IAT 2023INSTITUTO ÁGUA E TERRA (IAT). Sistema de informações hidrológicas: relatório de alturas mensais de precipitação. 2023. Available at: https://www.iat.pr.gov.br. Access in: Jan. 2023.
https://www.iat.pr.gov.br...
).

It is also important to note that the study did not cover a full year, what may have infuenced the results. Analysis limited to a specifc period may not fully refect the climate variability throughout the year, including important seasonal events that may compensate for the observed shortcomings.

The total throughfall ranged from 78.8 % for the native mixed ombrophilous forest, 86.1 % for monoculture and 85.3 % for agroforestry (Table 1). The mean values increased as the amount of rainfall from the events increased. The interaction in the three yerba mate production systems with rainfall revealed that the mixed ombrophilous forest showed a lower amount of internal rainfall, while, for monoculture, there was an increase.

Table 1
Cumulative measured values of throughfall, stemfow and interception loss from July 2019 to March 2020.

The stemflow values showed insignificant differences among monoculture (0.3 %), mixed ombrophilous forest (0.2 %) and agroforestry (0.1 %). The three studied areas showed a reduction in stemfow volume as rainfall increased. At certain rainfall volumes, there was a greater trunk runof production in monoculture than in the other areas. The interception loss was greater in the mixed ombrophilous forest (21.1 % of rainfall) than in the agroforestry (14.6 % of rainfall) and monoculture (13.6 % of rainfall). The values of interception loss were higher in events with a rainfall index of less than 5 mm/event. The three production systems presented this characteristic, thus highlighting that the studied trees have a higher relative interception capacity before the total wetting of leaves and branches.

At a 95 % confidence interval (p < 0.05) (Table 2), the hypothesis of equality of the mean interception, throughfall and stemfow occurring in monoculture x native mixed ombrophilous forest was rejected, whereas the hypothesis of equality of the interception and throughfall occurring between agroforestry x native mixed ombrophilous forest and monoculture x agroforestry was not rejected. The results of the present study suggest that yerba mate in monoculture and agroforestry have a little mean diference in interception due to plant density, when compared to the native mixed ombrophilous forest. The yerba mate in agroforestry includes plant thinning, while, in monoculture, the plant density is higher than in the agroforestry and native mixed ombrophilous forest, because the plant has a better development due to the direct incidence of sunlight and the lower competition among species.

Table 2
Simulation by the Tukey test for diferences of means.

The throughfall, stemfow and interception loss were shown to be positively correlated with gross rainfall (mm). The rainfall values for throughfall ranged from 1.2 to 52.9 mm of the individual rainfall events in the monoculture; from 0.3 to 59.6 mm in the agroforestry; and from 0.2 to 60.8 mm in the mixed ombrophilous forest. Similarly, the stem runof ranged from 0.0 (0.0015) to 0.9 mm of the individual rainfall events in the monoculture; from 0.0 (0.0001) to 0.1 mm in the agroforestry; and from 0.0 (0.0004) to 0.2 mm in the mixed ombrophilous forest. The interception ranged from −2.6 to 14.9 mm of the individual rainfall events in the monoculture; from −1.4 to 14.9 mm in the agroforestry; and from −3.7 to 16.5 mm in the mixed ombrophilous forest.

The relationships between gross rainfall with throughfall, stemfow and interception loss are presented in Figure 2. The mean throughfall in monoculture events was 20.5 ± 17.3 mm (≈86.1 % of gross rainfall). There was a signifcant linear relationship between the mean throughfall of the events, which was derived from all 18 collectors and gross rainfall (Figure 2a). For the agroforestry, the average throughfall per event was 20.4 ± 18.3 mm (≈85.3 % of gross rainfall). There was a signifcant linear relationship between mean throughfall and gross rainfall (Figure 2b). Finally, the average throughfall per event in the mixed ombrophilous forest was 29.4 ± 18.5 mm (≈78.7 % of gross rainfall). As with the other production systems, there was a signifcant linear relationship between throughfall and gross rainfall (Figure 2c).

Figure 2
Coefcient of variation of gross rainfall (x axis) for throughfall, stemfow and interception (y axis) in yerba mate in monoculture (a, d and g), agroforestry (b, e and h) and native mixed ombrophilous forest (c, f and i).

The interception loss rate gradually decreased in the three study areas until it stabilized. At the beginning of each rainfall event, the interception capacity was higher, but this process decreased as rainfall continued and/or its intensity increased.

This study reveals that the throughfall and stemfow are greater in “disturbed” plants, which sufer the efect of pruning, than in “intact” plants located in areas with little anthropic action. In the field analyses, it was noticed that the yerba mate in monoculture presented a larger width than that in agroforestry, and, consequently, a higher plant density, in relation to the yerba mate in the agroforestry system. However, in the agroforestry, the yerba mate had a greater height. These dasometric characteristics are related to how much insolation each yerba mate tree receives.

In the agroforestry, new yerba mate seedlings are planted in the middle of the mixed ombrophilous forest. This system requires interventions in the vegetation to allow a simultaneous cultivation by cutting and pruning trees, shrubs or vines (Urruth et al. 2022URRUTH, L. M.; BASSI, J. B.; CHEMELLO, D. Policies to encourage agroforestry in the Southern Atlantic Forest. Land Use Policy, v. 112, e105802, 2022.). Another system of yerba mate production is carried out by planting only yerba mate in a given area, a practice of monoculture.

The light infuences the appearance of the plant and, in places where light is abundant, the plants are more engaged and have a greater amount of leaves (Troppmair 1995TROPPMAIR, H. Biogeografa e meio ambiente. Rio Claro: Graf Set, 1995.). The monoculture area has a greater insolation reception, for not having other larger vegetation around it, and the plant development is more accelerated, while the yerba mate in agroforestry has larger trees around it, above 10 m, as Araucaria angustifolia, Ocotea porosa, Ocotea pulchella and Campomanesia xanthocarpa, partly camoufaging the insolation passage.

The model that compares rainfall with stemfow in the yerba mate monoculture (Figure 2d) explains only 20 % of the variability observed for stemfow. This indicates that there is a signifcant amount of variability in this phenomenon that is not being captured by the model. For the agroforestry and native mixed ombrophilous forest (Figures 2e and 2f) with yerba mate, the model explains 50 % of the variability for stemfow, in relation to the amount of rainfall. This suggests a signifcant improvement, when compared to the yerba mate monoculture, but there is still a substantial amount of variability that is not explained by the model.

The model has an insignifcant ft to the data, and the amount of rainfall is not contributing signifcantly to explaining the variations in interception capacity in the monoculture (Figure 2g). The R² of 0.4 indicates that 40 % of the variability in the interception capacity is explained by the amount of rainfall in the yerba mate agroforestry (Figure 2h). Although this is a better ft, if compared to monoculture, there is still a considerable amount of variability not explained by the model.

The highest R² of 0.6 suggests that 60 % of the variability in the interception capacity is explained by the amount of rainfall in the native mixed ombrophilous forest (Figure 2i). This is the strongest ft among the three growing environments, indicating that the model has a relatively better ability to explain the variations in interception capacity in the forest. However, all three graphs indicate that, as the amount of rainfall increases, the ability of plants or vegetation to intercept this rainfall decreases. This pattern could have important implications for environmental and agricultural management, highlighting the complexity of the interactions between rainfall and interception capacity in diferent growing environments.

The composition of a lower canopy, mostly formed by cordgrass and the extraction of leaves and twigs, can infuence the hydrological cycle, afecting the distribution and interception of rainfall, runof, infltration and evapotranspiration (Siles et al. 2010SILES, P.; VAAST, P.; DREYER, E.; HARMAND, J.-M. Rainfall partitioning into throughfall, stemfow and interception loss in a cofee (Cofea arabica L.) monoculture compared to an agroforestry system with Inga densifora. Journal of Hydrology, v. 395, n. 1, p. 39-48, 2010.). In a cofee plantation in Costa Rica, these results are also comparable to yerba mate, where the interception loss managed in agroforestry and monoculture resulted in 13 and 15 % of rainfall, respectively (Siles et al. 2010SILES, P.; VAAST, P.; DREYER, E.; HARMAND, J.-M. Rainfall partitioning into throughfall, stemfow and interception loss in a cofee (Cofea arabica L.) monoculture compared to an agroforestry system with Inga densifora. Journal of Hydrology, v. 395, n. 1, p. 39-48, 2010.), but with agroforestry achieving lower interception rates.

The diference in stemfow in the three areas was not signifcant. The diferences in stemfow appear when plants with rough barks (change in morphological characteristics of plant species) and old plants have lower stemfow than plants with younger canopies, and they also have greater losses than plant species with smooth bark and broad leaves, because they increase the amount of rainwater reaching the ground, potentiating the stemflow (Chen & Li 2016CHEN, Y.; LI, M. Quantifying rainfall interception loss of a subtropical broadleaved forest in central Taiwan. Water, v. 8, n. 1, e14, 2016., Shou et al. 2016SHOU, W.; MUSA, A.; LIU, Z.; QIAN, J.; NIU, C.; GUO, Y. Rainfall partitioning characteristics of three typical sand-fxing shrubs in Horqin Sand Land, North-Eastern China. Hydrology Research, v. 48, n. 2, p. 571-583, 2016., Magliano et al. 2019MAGLIANO, P. N.; WHITWORTH-HULSE, J. I.; FLORIO, E. L.; AGUIRRE, E. C.; BLANCO, L. J. Interception loss, throughfall and stemfow by Larrea divaricata: the role of rainfall characteristics and plant morphological attributes. Ecological Research, v. 34, n. 6, p. 753-764, 2019., Whitworth-Hulse et al. 2020WHITWORTH-HULSE, J. I.; MAGLIANO, P. N.; ZEBALLOS, S. R.; AGUIAR, S.; BALDI, G. Global patterns of rainfall partitioning by invasive woody plants. Global Ecology and Biogeography, v. 30, n. 1, p. 235-246, 2020.).

Thus, the interception loss in mixed ombrophilous forest is comparatively higher than in monoculture and agroforestry yerba mate production systems, for presenting a diversified and higher density of forest species. In the agroforestry, the forest structure is altered through thinning of leaves and branches and suppression of plants for the cultivation of yerba mate trees with a reduction in forest density.

The results obtained from the data collected in the present study reveal that the volume and spatial pattern of throughfall distribution depend, among other factors, on the storage capacity of the canopy, which, in turn, is determined by the amount of biomass in its structure and the characteristics of rainfall events (rainfall volume, intensity and duration) (Li et al. 2019LI, G.; WAN, L.; CUI, M.; WU, B.; ZHOU, J. Infuence of canopy interception and rainfall kinetic energy on soil erosion under forests. Forests, v. 10, n. 6, e509, 2019.).

The interception losses in Brazilian forests reach considerable values, especially regarding the high rainfall in these regions, despite the indications of greater losses in temperate forests than in tropical forests (Durocher 1990DUROCHER, M. G. Monitoring spatial variability of forest interception. Hydrological Processes, v. 4, n. 3, p. 215-229, 1990.). In the dry season, the occurrence of greater evaporation is normal, and, besides that, changes in the canopy structure also interfere with the interception process (Chen & Li 2016CHEN, Y.; LI, M. Quantifying rainfall interception loss of a subtropical broadleaved forest in central Taiwan. Water, v. 8, n. 1, e14, 2016.). A diference that causes the redistribution of rain was observed in the rainfall splitting process in the monoculture and agroforestry yerba mate production systems.

The use of conventional systems for long periods without adopting conservationist practices increases the physical and biological degradation of an environmental system, making it increasingly fragile (Reichert et al. 2022REICHERT, J. M.; GUBIANI, P. I.; RHEINHEIMER, D. S.; REINERT, D. J.; AITA, C.; GIACOMINI, S. J. Soil properties characterization for land-use planning and soil management in watersheds under family farming. International Soil and Water Conservation Research, v. 10, n. 1, p. 119-128, 2022.). Yerba mate in a natural environment, when not used for extraction, helps in the hydrological process of the forest, but its use for extraction generates some impacts on the forest which should be better analyzed in further studies.

The agroforestry system is considered one of the most sustainable cropping systems, bringing many ecological benefts, in relation to soil properties, biodiversity and pest control (Ávila Junior et al. 2016ÁVILA JUNIOR, R. S.; DALAZEN, D. F.; LORENTZ, L. H.; POLETTO, I.; STEFENON, V. M. Efects of diferent cultivation systems in leaf traits and herbivory damage in Ilex paraguariensis (Aquifoliaceae). Brazilian Journal of Botany, v. 39, n. 1, p. 219-223, 2016.). The results of the present study show that the yerba mate in the agroforestry and monoculture systems obtained non-signifcant results, regarding the interception loss process, being explained by the removal of part of the arboreal vegetation for the plantation of yerba mate.

The benefts of yerba mate cultivation systems in South America are very useful for local farmers. However, in order to combine yield and conservation in Southern Brazil, more eforts must be made to make the system more sustainable.

CONCLUSIONS

  1. Rainfall partitioning for yerba mate in monoculture and agroforestry systems is lower, when compared to that of native mixed ombrophilous forest. The rainfall interception, throughfall and stemfow in the investigated yerba mate production systems were, respectively, 21.1, 78.8 and 0.2 % for the native ombrophilous forest; 14.6, 85.3 and 0.1 % for agroforestry; and 13.6, 86.1 and 0.4 % for monoculture;

  2. Diferent canopy characteristics infuence the throughfall variability. Rainfall reaches the soil directly through openings in the canopy cover or as dripping, and the concentration of rainwater in rangeland production systems is directed to specifc points in the soil when under high rainfall;

  3. When cultivated in the agroforestry system, yerba mate presents results of interception loss similar to the monoculture system. This is explained by the management techniques adopted in part of the forest in order to cultivate yerba mate in the agroforestry system.

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Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    22 Jan 2024
  • Date of issue
    2024

History

  • Received
    06 Sept 2023
  • Accepted
    18 Dec 2023
  • Published
    03 Jan 2024
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