Comparison of rainfall interception among tree species in urban green space of Hashtgerd watershed

In the recent years, science and technology in urban green space have largely focused on technologies that facilitate infiltration and reduce runoff (such as rain gardens and permeable sidewalks). Trees in urban green space reduce the net rainfall by interception, and on the other hand, their extensive root systems allow them to store and direct significant amounts of water into the soil. The present study investigates the effect of rainfall amount and tree species on rainfall interception in Hashtgerd city of Alborz province during two seasons of winter 2017 and spring 2018. For this purpose, during seven rainfall events, the amount of throughfall was measured by the number of five rain gauges installed under each tree. In order to record rainfall events, a rain gage container was installed in a location that was sufficiently distant from buildings and trees, and rainfall events ranging from 2.1 to 6.8 mm were recorded. The results showed that the percentages of rainfall interception for spruce, apricot, fig, willow, walnut, and oak species were 44.6, 42.6, 36.4, 35.1, 33.6 and 30.4 percent, respectively. The results of statistical analysis showed that there is a significant difference among the values of rainfall interception in different tree species (P <0.01). Also, there is a significant difference among the rainfall interception in the rainfall classes (low (lower than 4 mm), medium (4-6 mm), and high (higher than 6 mm)) (P <0.01). Among the studied species, sparrow and apricot species have the highest rainfall interception, which it is possible to make more use of these two types in the control of runoff with urban planning.