Rainfall, fog and throughfall dynamics in a subtropical ridge top cloud forest, National Park of Garajonay (La Gomera, Canary Islands, Spain)

In subtropical ridge-top cloud forests of La Gomera, Canary Islands, fog interception significantly enhances water inputs, contributing up to 6% of wind-corrected fog water as throughfall (TF), while rainfall-only events yield 87% TF. The study reveals that fog screens capture fog water more efficiently than forest canopies, and prior canopy wetting by rain increases TF during mixed precipitation events. Researchers corrected measurements for wind-induced losses and topographic effects, addressing gaps in previous studies. This highlights the critical role of fog in water balance in dry-season environments (5 months) with low annual rainfall (600–700 mm).

García‐Santos, G., & Bruijnzeel, L. A. (2010). Rainfall, fog and throughfall dynamics in a subtropical ridge top cloud forest, National Park of Garajonay (La Gomera, Canary Islands, Spain). Hydrological Processes, 25(3), 411–417. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.7760