Experimental and analytical investigation of forest clearings

Abstract

A numerical model of forest clearings is proposed based on the linearised Euler equations. The forest is replaced by distributed body forces that decrease the flow momentum entrained inside the canopy. The model is compared with available wind-tunnel measurements of clearings areas. It is observed that the model deviates from themeasurements over the forest surface, but the performance improve over the clearing surface, probably associated to an incorrect evaluation of the forest intensity. The proposed model suggests that the clearing is associated to an internal boundary layer with intensity function of the clearing length.