STEM FLOW ON SOME TYPES OF TREES

Abstract

Excessive surface runoff can cause flooding and soil erosion. The existence of a vegetation canopy that is able to intercept rainwater at least can reduce surface runoff. Stem flow is rainwater that falls on the surface of the leaves, branches and stems, then flows through the stems to the soil surface. The size of the stem flow is strongly influenced by the structure of the trunk and the roughness of the bark of the tree. The research was carried out for 2 months in the Mixed Garden, BukuanUrban Village, Palaransub District, Samarinda City. The research activities carried out were: the preparation of materials and tools, field observations, determining trees as samples, installing rain gauges, and installing tools to accommodate stem flow. The data collected were: tree morphology, trunk diameter, canopy thickness, rainfall, and stem flow measurements. The results showed that the greatest stem flow occurred in acacia trees ranging from 0.0082 to 2.8600 mm; on mango trees, it ranged from 0.0363 – 0.4218 mm; on jengkol trees ranging from 0.0041 to 0.4282 mm; on the sengon tree ranged from 0.0013 to 2.2048 mm, and the smallest occurred in trembesi trees ranging from 0.0003 to 0.1351 mm.