A Water Balance Approach to Estimate Fog Water Contribution to a Relict Forest in the Coastal Semi-Arid Region in Central Chile

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dc.catalogadorgjm
dc.contributor.authorPacheco Canales, Valentina J.
dc.contributor.authorLobos Roco, Felipe Andrés
dc.contributor.authorVicuña Díaz, Sebastián
dc.contributor.authorSuárez Poch, Francisco Ignacio
dc.contributor.authorRío López, Camilo del
dc.contributor.authorGaxiola Alcantar, Aurora
dc.date.accessioned2024-08-22T20:11:59Z
dc.date.available2024-08-22T20:11:59Z
dc.date.issued2024
dc.description.abstractThe marine fog presence along Chile’s western coast, in the semi-arid and Mediterranean region, influences coastal vegetation patterns and constitutes a significant yet underestimated water source for basin water balance. While studies suggest that south-westerly winds transport marine fog inland, serving as a vital water source for coastal vegetation and relict forests, our understanding of fog dynamics in this context remains limited. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze coastal fog in the coast of the semi-arid and mediterranean region in central Chile addressing the temporal distribution of its frequency, liquid water content and water collection in relation to the presence of relict forests. This study is centered in a relict forest located in the semi-arid coastal Chile uphill 3.5 km far from the coast with an altitude of 650 meters (lat: -32.2°/long: -71.5°). This forest, dominated by Aextoxicon punctatum survives on less than 200 mm of annual precipitation which implies fog water is a critical water input. Our methodological approach is a water balance analysis tailored for fog-related water contributions, the balance considers precipitation, evapotranspiration (ET), soil accumulation, and fog input across various scales: from individual trees to the entire mountainous ecosystem. Specific methods for fog characterization, forest assessment, and fog capture efficiency are developed, incorporating factors such as forest characteristics and vertical variability. Our findings reveal that fog recurs 17% of the time and contributes up to 75% to the forest’s water evapotranspiration. Furthermore, it was estimated that forests can capture up to 10.5% of the available fog in the air. Considering soil moisture sensor data collected in the study area it appears that the captured fog does not penetrate deep into the soil and does not generate runoff from the forest area. Based on a sensitivity analysis we explored how forest’s fog capture efficiency varies with elevation, collection area (leaf area index), and evapotranspiration. These results underscore the importance of fog water as a vital water source for vegetation and emphasize the need for incorporating fog water inputs into broader assessments for improved water resource predictions and ecosystem conservation.
dc.format.extent35 páginas
dc.fuente.origenORCID
dc.identifier.doi10.2139/ssrn.4779016
dc.identifier.urihttps://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4779016
dc.identifier.urihttps://repositorio.uc.cl/handle/11534/87628
dc.information.autorucEscuela de Ingeniería; Pacheco Canales, Valentina J.; S/I; 1045520
dc.information.autorucInstituto de Geografía; Lobos Roco, Felipe Andrés; S/I; 157192
dc.information.autorucEscuela de Ingeniería; Vicuña Díaz, Sebastián; 0000-0001-6971-0068; 7907
dc.information.autorucEscuela de Ingeniería; Suárez Poch, Francisco Ignacio; 0000-0002-4394-957X; 15891
dc.information.autorucInstituto de Geografía; Río López, Camilo del; 0000-0002-6817-431X; 17960
dc.information.autorucFacultad de Ciencias Biológicas; Gaxiola Alcantar, Aurora; 0000-0003-2820-3689; 169320
dc.language.isoen
dc.nota.accesocontenido parcial
dc.rightsacceso restringido
dc.subjectAextoxicon punctatum
dc.subjectFog
dc.subjectSemi-arid
dc.subjectRelict forest
dc.subjectStandard fog collectors
dc.subjectWater balance
dc.subject.ddc600
dc.subject.deweyTecnologíaes_ES
dc.subject.ods06 Clean water and sanitation
dc.subject.ods15 Life on land
dc.subject.odspa06 Agua limpia y saneamiento
dc.subject.odspa15 Vida de ecosistemas terrestres
dc.titleA Water Balance Approach to Estimate Fog Water Contribution to a Relict Forest in the Coastal Semi-Arid Region in Central Chile
dc.typepreprint
sipa.codpersvinculados1045520
sipa.codpersvinculados157192
sipa.codpersvinculados7907
sipa.codpersvinculados15891
sipa.codpersvinculados17960
sipa.codpersvinculados169320
sipa.trazabilidadORCID;2024-08-19
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