How Important Are Fog and the Cloud Forest as a Water Supply in Eastern Mexico?
The water balance is the volume of water flowing through the hydrological cycle, and one of its main components is fog. Fog is considered a type of low-lying cloud and is heavily influenced by water bodies, topography, and wind conditions. Fog incorporates water from the atmosphere to the terrestria...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Water |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/15/7/1286 |
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| author | Antonio Sánchez-Falfan Manuel Esperón-Rodríguez Juan Cervantes-Pérez Monica Ballinas Victor L. Barradas |
| author_facet | Antonio Sánchez-Falfan Manuel Esperón-Rodríguez Juan Cervantes-Pérez Monica Ballinas Victor L. Barradas |
| author_sort | Antonio Sánchez-Falfan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The water balance is the volume of water flowing through the hydrological cycle, and one of its main components is fog. Fog is considered a type of low-lying cloud and is heavily influenced by water bodies, topography, and wind conditions. Fog incorporates water from the atmosphere to the terrestrial surface and for some ecosystems (e.g., cloud forests) represents a great water contribution. In this work, we aimed to answer the following questions: (1) What is the fog-water contribution to the water balance? (2) How does the presence of vegetation affect the water supply to the ecosystem? We took as a case study the Central Mountain Region of Veracruz, in eastern Mexico, and measured components of the water balance; this included precipitation (gross and net), fog water, interception, transpiration, evapotranspiration, and condensation, and we estimated water gain and loss of the water balance. We registered 510 precipitation events distributed throughout the year with three peaks (October, May, and January). Of these, 386 were fog events, 41 were rain events, and 83 were events combining fog and rain. Fog had a substantial contribution of water to the system, with a volume 22 times greater than that of rain (4311.14 mm vs. 197.5 mm). From the total water gain, the highest proportion (91%) was contributed by fog interception. Fog was considered a constant source of moisture throughout the year; however, water intercepted during the dry season was higher (56%) compared with the wet season (36%). Our results highlight the importance of the fog as a source of water for the region. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:22:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a358008657ad414098f0f608e0043464 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4441 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:22:06Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water |
| spelling | doaj.art-a358008657ad414098f0f608e00434642023-11-17T17:49:14ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412023-03-01157128610.3390/w15071286How Important Are Fog and the Cloud Forest as a Water Supply in Eastern Mexico?Antonio Sánchez-Falfan0Manuel Esperón-Rodríguez1Juan Cervantes-Pérez2Monica Ballinas3Victor L. Barradas4Laboratorio de Interacción Planta Atmosfera, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, MexicoHawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, AustraliaFacultad de Instrumentación y Ciencias Atmosféricas, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa 91090, MexicoLaboratorio de Interacción Planta Atmosfera, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, MexicoLaboratorio de Interacción Planta Atmosfera, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, MexicoThe water balance is the volume of water flowing through the hydrological cycle, and one of its main components is fog. Fog is considered a type of low-lying cloud and is heavily influenced by water bodies, topography, and wind conditions. Fog incorporates water from the atmosphere to the terrestrial surface and for some ecosystems (e.g., cloud forests) represents a great water contribution. In this work, we aimed to answer the following questions: (1) What is the fog-water contribution to the water balance? (2) How does the presence of vegetation affect the water supply to the ecosystem? We took as a case study the Central Mountain Region of Veracruz, in eastern Mexico, and measured components of the water balance; this included precipitation (gross and net), fog water, interception, transpiration, evapotranspiration, and condensation, and we estimated water gain and loss of the water balance. We registered 510 precipitation events distributed throughout the year with three peaks (October, May, and January). Of these, 386 were fog events, 41 were rain events, and 83 were events combining fog and rain. Fog had a substantial contribution of water to the system, with a volume 22 times greater than that of rain (4311.14 mm vs. 197.5 mm). From the total water gain, the highest proportion (91%) was contributed by fog interception. Fog was considered a constant source of moisture throughout the year; however, water intercepted during the dry season was higher (56%) compared with the wet season (36%). Our results highlight the importance of the fog as a source of water for the region.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/15/7/1286forest canopyinterceptionprecipitationvegetation coverwater balance |
| spellingShingle | Antonio Sánchez-Falfan Manuel Esperón-Rodríguez Juan Cervantes-Pérez Monica Ballinas Victor L. Barradas How Important Are Fog and the Cloud Forest as a Water Supply in Eastern Mexico? Water forest canopy interception precipitation vegetation cover water balance |
| title | How Important Are Fog and the Cloud Forest as a Water Supply in Eastern Mexico? |
| title_full | How Important Are Fog and the Cloud Forest as a Water Supply in Eastern Mexico? |
| title_fullStr | How Important Are Fog and the Cloud Forest as a Water Supply in Eastern Mexico? |
| title_full_unstemmed | How Important Are Fog and the Cloud Forest as a Water Supply in Eastern Mexico? |
| title_short | How Important Are Fog and the Cloud Forest as a Water Supply in Eastern Mexico? |
| title_sort | how important are fog and the cloud forest as a water supply in eastern mexico |
| topic | forest canopy interception precipitation vegetation cover water balance |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/15/7/1286 |
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