The influence that the intensity and duration of precipitations, wind speed and deficit of the saturation of the air have upon the interception of precipitations was studied in an adult forest of Pinus radiata, near Valdivia (Lat. 39°48'S, Long. 73°14'W).
The amount of water necessary to saturate the crowns of the trees showed variations between 0.6 and 1.5 mm, depending this value on the intensity of precipitations. With rains of intensity under 1.0 mm/hr, the interception gradually reached its highest values, decreasing largely with the increase of the duration and intensity of precipitations.
Wind speed was the only meteorological parameter considered which had a significative influence upon the interception. With high speeds of the wind, the percentages of interception decreased considerably. Deficit of saturation of the air could not explain the magnitudes of interception, due to its values generally low during the precipitations, independently of their intensity or duration.