What is the portion of rainfall intercepted by plant foliage and evaporated without reaching the soil called?

Correct answer: Interception loss

Correct answer: B, interception loss. When rain falls over a forest or other vegetated area, some droplets are caught by leaves, branches and stems before they reach the ground. This stored water may evaporate directly back to the atmosphere; the amount lost from the pathway that would otherwise reach the soil is called interception loss. A is wrong because infiltration is water entering the soil surface. C is wrong because percolation is the downward movement of water through soil layers after water has entered the ground. D is wrong because surface runoff flows over the land toward lower areas or channels. Interception is not necessarily permanent loss of water from Earth; it is a temporary change in the route and timing of water within the cycle. Memory cue: canopy catches rain, then evaporation creates interception loss.