Rainfall Interception: Responses with Lichen Canopies along the Hudson Bay Lowlands of Churchill, Manitoba

Interception is the proportion of a rainfall retained by the plant canopy that does not reach the ground and is subsequently evaporated. Despite their small size, lichens are exceptionally good at intercepting rain because of their fungal structure and therefore can have a profound impact on regional hydrology in the Subarctic. Four selected habitats were chosen to conduct an inventory of lichen biomass near Churchill, Manitoba to determine their differences in biomass and maximum storage capacity. A weather station was built with weighing lysimeters to analyze in situ interception of four lichen canopies. Measured evaporation is compared with the Penman-Monteith model to examine how the availability of canopy moisture controls evaporation through changes in canopy resistance, with the aim of quantifying antecedent storage capacity for interception during subsequent rainfalls.