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A weighing lysimeter in a regenerating eucalypt forest: Design, construction, and performance
Author(s) -
Reyenga W.,
Dunin F. X.,
Bautovich B. C.,
Rath C. R.,
Hulse L. B.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
hydrological processes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.222
H-Index - 161
eISSN - 1099-1085
pISSN - 0885-6087
DOI - 10.1002/hyp.3360020402
Subject(s) - lysimeter , environmental science , hydrology (agriculture) , rainwater harvesting , soil science , geology , ecology , soil water , geotechnical engineering , biology
A 36 tonne monolithic weighing lysimeter (3.7 m diameter and 1.5 m deep) was installed in Kioloa State Forest near Batemans Bay, New South Wales, Australia, to provide a continuous record of water use from a regenerating natural eucaplyt community, five years old at installation. The resolution is equivalent to 0.05 mm of evaporation and provides hourly information for diurnal variation of forest evaporation. The sensitivity of 14 ppm compares favourably with those reported for other lysimeters, similar in magnitude, in the U.S.A. Design criteria for selecting, isolating and suspending a sample community ‘in situ’ with an electro‐mechanical balance are outlined. Procedures adopted during installation are described with emphasis placed on precautions taken to minimize disturbance and to avert possible changes in character of the isolated natural community. Lysimeter performance was assessed both in terms of its accuracy and its operation as a remote facility with infrequent attention.