INTRODUCTION
An understanding of the water balance of tropical rainforests
is crucial for assessing the role that these forests
play in regulating the delivery of water to rivers and
streams. An important component of the rainforest water
balance is the interception of rainfall by the canopy and
its subsequent evaporation to the atmosphere. Interception
studies from rainforest systems around the world
suggest that the amount of water evaporated directly from
the canopy can be very high, particularly under ‘maritime’
conditions experienced at continental edges and on
islands (e.g. Dykes, 1997; Bruijnzeel, 1988; Shuttleworth,
1988; Schellekens et al., 2000).