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The impact of vegetation on interception of rainfall and on solar radiation is modelled by a Leaf Area Index (LAI) taken .  It is one of the parameters in the model that describes land surface vegetation.

The leaf area index is derived from climatological data, taking .  This takes into account seasonality (growing, mature, senescent and dormant phases) of four types of forest vegetation (evergreen trees, deciduous trees, mixed forest/woodland, and interrupted forest).  It is also be calculated daily from satellite data.  The leaf area index has a value of 0 over bare ground or where there are no leaves.  

The leaf and ten types of low vegetation.  Leaf area index is a non-dimensional number representing the square metres of leaf area per square metre of the earth's surface and thus determines also the degree of evapotranspiration.  It is as it determines the degree of evapotranspiration and, for example, how much rainwater will be intercepted by the vegetative canopy, rather than falling to the ground.

In IFS the leaf area index varies only with climatology, month by month. Anomalous weather has  Anomalous weather, widespread fire damage, etc have no effect.

Considerations

Users need to be aware of the potential effect of any day-to-day anomalies.

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