[Water storage characteristics of ground covers under three forests in Three Gorges area]

Through water holding experiments and the survey of ground covers under three forests (mixed forest of Quercus variabilis and Pinus massoniana, pure Quercus variabilis forest and pure Pinus massoniana forest) in Three Gorges Area, the hydrological characteristic parameters, e.g., maximum water holding capacity and water absorption speed, were measured. The results showed that the maximum water holding capacity of moss under pure Quercus variabilis forest is the highest (303.1% of its dry weight), that under mixed forest of Quercus variabilis and Pinus massoniana was 283.8%, and that under pure Pinus massoniana forest was 242.3%. The maximum water holding capacity of litter under mixed forest stand of Quercus variabils and Pinus massoniana was 282.2% of its dry weight, that under pure Quercus variabilis forest is 262.5%, that under pure Pinus massoniana forest was 239.3%. The equation between water absorption speed of ground cover and its immersed period could be S = kt(n). The results also showed that when the forests were all in mid-age, the water holding ability of the mosses was higher than that of the litters under the same forest. The ground cover's variation with its immersed period had no relation to forest types.