From the text... 'Rainfall distribution patterns under forest covers of red pine, hemlock, and beech were investigated. Soil moisture observations showed that a considerable portion of the water which fell on the canopy was concentrated by the foliage, branches and stem, and eventually released to the soil in a relatively narrow band around the base of the tree. There were indications that the water flowing down the stem tended to follow the larger roots into the soil. When the magnitude of stemflow was calculated on the basis of the absorption area, it was found that the soil at the base of the average red pine tree received about one-fifth of the amount which fell in the open, soil under hemlock received the same amount of rainfall as the open area, and soil under beech received about two and one-half times* the amount falling on the open area. Water recovery values from trunk segments of the three species indicated that bark texture may offer a partial explanation for the stemflow differences. Red pine bark absorbed considerably more water than beech. Further observations on red pine indicated that much of the water concentrated by the foliage and branches fell in a diffuse zone around the stem rather than flowing down the outer bark surface. Presumably this was due to the curled bark plates that caused the water to drop rather than flow.' © Society of American Foresters, Bethesda, MD. Abstract reproduced by permission.