A comparison of five forest interception models using global sensitivity and uncertainty analysis

- Five interception models were compared using sensitivity and uncertainty analysis.
- Input ranges were applied across models enabling a ranking of model uncertainty.
- Storm duration, rainfall, canopy storage, and radiation were important parameters.
- Empirical parameters were less important.
- The models behaved similarly with respect to sensitivity and uncertainty.

SummaryInterception by the forest canopy plays a critical role in the hydrologic cycle by removing a significant portion of incoming precipitation from the terrestrial component. While there are a number of existing physical models of forest interception, few studies have summarized or compared these models. The objective of this work is to use global sensitivity and uncertainty analysis to compare five mechanistic interception models including the Rutter, Rutter Sparse, Gash, Sparse Gash, and Liu models. Using parameter probability distribution functions of values from the literature, our results show that on average storm duration [Dur], gross precipitation [PG], canopy storage [S] and solar radiation [Rn] are the most important model parameters. On the other hand, empirical parameters used in calculating evaporation and drip (i.e. trunk evaporation as a proportion of evaporation from the saturated canopy [∊], the empirical drainage parameter [b], the drainage partitioning coefficient [pd], and the rate of water dripping from the canopy when canopy storage has been reached [Ds]) have relatively low levels of importance in interception modeling. As such, future modeling efforts should aim to decompose parameters that are the most influential in determining model outputs into easily measurable physical components. Because this study compares models, the choices regarding the parameter probability distribution functions are applied across models, which enables a more definitive ranking of model uncertainty.