DOI: 10.1615/TSFP7
LES OF INHOMOGENEOUS CANOPY FLOWS USING TERRESTRIAL LASER SCANNING DATA
RESUMO
The effect of sub-tree forest heterogeneity in the flow past a clearing is investigated by means of large-eddy simulation (LES). For this purpose, a detailed representation of the canopy has been acquired by terrestrial laser scanning (TLS). The scanning data is used to produce a high resolution plant area distribution (PAD). For the LES study, the PAD is embedded in a larger domain covered with an idealised, horizontally homogeneous canopy. Simulations are performed for neutral conditions and compared to an LES with homogeneous PAD. The study reveals a considerable influence of small-scale plant distribution on the mean velocity field as well as on turbulence data. Particularly near the edges of the clearing, where canopy structure is highly variable, usage of a realistic PAD appears to be crucial for capturing the local flow structure. Inside the forest, local variations in plant density induce a complex pattern of up and downward motions, which remain visible in the mean flow.