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GCSE Geography · key term
The capture of precipitation by vegetation before it reaches the ground.
Used by AQA, Edexcel and OCR
Specification 3.1.2.2, 3.1.3.3 · Paper 1
The capture of rainfall by vegetation before it reaches the ground.
The temporary capture of precipitation by vegetation before it reaches the ground.
Specification 1.9 · Paper 1
Water caught and temporarily held by vegetation before it reaches the ground.
Revise: Human Impact on RiversClearing trees and other vegetation for crops or grazing reduces interception and can reduce infiltration. More rainfall then runs over the surface and reaches the river quickly. Compacted soil also allows less infiltration.
Paper 2, Paper 3
Rainfall caught and temporarily held by vegetation before it reaches the ground.
Revise: Human Activities and Storm HydrographsRemoving them reduces interception. Deforestation can also reduce infiltration and removes vegetation that slows surface water, increasing overland flow.
The temporary capture and storage of precipitation by vegetation before it reaches the ground.
The capture of rainfall by vegetation before it reaches the ground.
Specification 4.2a · Paper 1, Paper 3
Explain a chain of cause and effect: clearing vegetation reduces interception, so more water reaches the ground and flows rapidly into the river, increasing flood risk.
Explain the whole chain: human activity → change in interception, infiltration or drainage → change in runoff → effect on lag time and peak discharge.
For an explanation, link the activity to a process and then a consequence: tree clearance reduces interception, so rainfall reaches the ground and rivers more quickly, increasing flood risk.
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