Water storage on forest foliage: A general model

A model for the prediction of water accumulation on forest foliage is presented. It is general enough to include linear, exponential, or logarithmic forms for the buildup of accumulated water and to go from any one of these three limiting forms to any other in a continuous manner by varying a single dimensionless parameter. This equation unifies into a single form many other models used to predict water accumulation (from either rain or fog) on forest foliage. An exploration of the underlying assumptions relating drip rate to interception intensity shows how these other models differ from one another. Evaporation is included in the model by using another dimensionless parameter which may be very useful in regions where only an approximate estimate of the evaporation rate is available. However, to include evaporation correctly into the model it is necessary to define the water storage capacity first in order to properly interpret the model predictions.