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Seasonal variations in the evapotranspiration of a transitional tropical forest of Mato Grosso, Brazil
Author(s) -
Vourlitis George L.,
Filho Nicolau Priante,
Hayashi Mauro M. S.,
de S. Nogueira José,
Caseiro Fernando T.,
Campelo José Holanda
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/2000wr000122
Subject(s) - evapotranspiration , eddy covariance , ecotone , environmental science , dry season , wet season , precipitation , seasonality , tropical savanna climate , atmospheric sciences , tropics , geography , climatology , ecology , ecosystem , biology , geology , meteorology , shrub , cartography
The seasonal pattern of evapotranspiration (expressed as latent heat flux Q e ) for a 28‐ to 30‐m‐tall tropical transitional (ecotonal) forest was quantified over an annual cycle using eddy covariance measurement and micrometeorological estimation techniques. The study was conducted near the city of Sinop, in northern Mato Grosso, Brazil, which is located within the ecotone of tropical rain forest and savanna (cerrado). Although the majority of net radiation ( Q *) was consumed by Q e (50–90%), seasonal variations in Q e were large and positively correlated with precipitation. Total daily Q e for the dry season (June–September) was on average 6.0 MJ m −2 d −1 , while daily Q e for the transition (October–November and April–May) and wet (December–March) season periods were 7.5 and 10.0 MJ m −2 d −1 , respectively. The seasonal variation in midday (0900–1500 LT) surface conductance ( g s ) was also positively correlated with precipitation. Analysis of the “decoupling factor” (Ω) indicated that the forest was strongly coupled to the atmosphere (Ω = 0.1–0.3) over the dry season and transition periods, suggesting that Q e was under relatively strong stomatal control. Although rainfall during the study period was above the long‐term (30‐year) average, our results indicate that the seasonal dynamics of Q e for the tropical transitional forest were more comparable to tropical savanna than to rain forest.