Estimating evapotranspiration for a temperate salt marsh,Newcastle, Australia

Evapotranspiration was studied at a salt marsh site in the Hunter River estuary, NSW, Australia, during 1996–8. Estimates of actual evapotranspiration (E_a) were obtained for three sites using the eddy correlation method. These values were compared with results obtained with the Penman and Penman–Monteith equations, and with pan evaporation. The Penman–Monteith method was found to be most reliable in estimating daily and hourly evapotranspiration. Surface resistance values averaging 12 s m^?1 were derived from the eddy correlation estimates. Recent tidal flooding and rainfall were found to decrease surface resistance and increase E_a/E_p ratios. Estimates of evapotranspiration obtained using the Penman–Monteith method were shown to be sensitive to changes in surface resistance, canopy height and the method used to estimate net radiation from incoming solar radiation. These results underline the importance of accurately estimating such parameters based on site‐specific data rather than relying on empirical equations, which are derived primarily for crops and forests. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparison of radial basis function networks and empirical equations for converting from pan evaporation to reference evapotranspiration

Evapotranspiration (ET) is one of the major processes in the hydrological cycle, and its reliable estimation is essential to water resources management. Numerous equations have been developed for estimating ET, most of which are complex and require numerous items of weather data. In many areas, the necessary data are lacking, and simpler techniques are required. Evaporation pans are used throughout the world because of the simplicity of technique, low cost, and ease of application. In this study, the radial basis function (RBF) network is applied for pan evaporation to evapotranspiration conversions. The adaptive pan‐based RBF network was trained using daily Policoro data from 15 May 1981 to 23 December 1983. The RBF network obtained, Christiansen, FAO‐24 pan, and FAO‐56 Penman–Monteith equations were verified in comparison with lysimeter measurements of grass evapotranspiration using daily Policoro data from 25 February to 18 December 1984. Based on summary statistics, the RBF network ranked first with the lowest RMSE value (0·433 mm day^?1). The RBF network obtained on the basis of the daily data from Policoro, Italy and pan‐based equations were further tested using mean monthly data collected in Novi Sad, Serbia, and Kimberly, Idaho, USA. The overall results favoured use of the RBF network for pan evaporation to evapotranspiration conversions. The use of the RBF network is very simple and does not require any knowledge of ANNs. Users require only code (RBF network), E_pan data and corresponding R_a data. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Estimation of potential evapotranspiration in the mountainous Panama Canal watershed

Spatially distributed hydrometeorological and plant information within the mountainous tropical Panama Canal watershed is used to estimate parameters of the Penman–Monteith evapotranspiration formulation. Hydrometeorological data from a few surface climate stations located at low elevations in the watershed are complemented by (a) typical wet‐ and dry‐season fields of temperature, wind, water vapour and pressure produced by a mesoscale atmospheric model with a 3 × 3 km² spatial and hourly temporal resolution, and (b) leaf area index fields estimated over the watershed during a few years using satellite data with two different spatial and temporal resolutions. The mesoscale model estimates of spatially distributed surface hydrometeorological variables provide the basis for the extrapolation of the surface climate station data to produce input for the Penman–Monteith equation. The satellite information and existing digital spatial databases of land use and land cover form the basis for the estimation of Penman–Monteith spatially distributed parameter values. Spatially distributed 3 × 3 km² potential evapotranspiration estimates are obtained for the 3300 km² Panama Canal watershed. Estimates for Gatun Lake within the watershed are found to reproduce well the monthly and annual lake evaporation obtained from submerged pans. Sensitivity analysis results of potential evapotranspiration estimates with respect to cloud cover, dew formation, leaf area index distribution and mesoscale model estimates of surface climate are presented and discussed. The main conclusion is that even the limited spatially distributed hydrometeorological and plant information used in this study contributes significantly toward explaining the substantial spatial variability of potential evapotranspiration in the watershed. These results also allow the determination of key locations within the watershed where additional surface stations may be profitably placed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

High resolution water body mapping for SWAT evaporative modelling in the Upper Oconee watershed of Georgia,USA

Technological improvements in remote sensing and geographic information systems have demonstrated the abundance of artificially constructed water bodies across the landscape. Although research has shown the ubiquity of small ponds globally, and in the southeastern United States in particular, their cumulative impact in terms of evaporative alteration is less well quantified. The objectives of this study are to examine the hydrologic and evaporative importance of small artificial water bodies in the Upper Oconee watershed in the northern Georgia Piedmont, USA, by mapping their locations and modelling these small reservoirs using the Soil Water Assessment Tool. Comparative Soil Water Assessment Tool models were run with and without the inclusion of small reservoir surface area and volume. The models used meteorological inputs from 1990–2013 to represent years with drought, high precipitation, and moderate precipitation for both the calibration and evaluation periods. Statistical comparison of streamflow indicated that the calibration methodology produced results where the default model simulation without reservoirs fit observed flows more closely than the modified model with small reservoirs included (e.g., Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency of 0.72 vs. 0.64, r² of 0.73 vs. 0.66, and percent bias of 11.4 vs. 21.6). In addition, Penman–Monteith, Hargreaves, and Priestley–Taylor evapotranspiration equations were used to estimate actual evaporation from 2,219 small water bodies identified throughout the 1,936.8 km² watershed. Depending on the evaporation equation used, water bodies evaporated an average of 0.03–0.036 km³/year for the period 2003–2013. Using Penman–Monteith further, if the reservoirs were not considered and average actual evapotranspiration rates from the rest of the basin were applied, only 0.016 km³ of water would have left the basin as a result of evapotranspiration. This finding suggests construction of small reservoirs increased evaporation by an average of 0.017 km³ per year (approximately 46,500 m³/day). As the construction of small reservoirs continues and high resolution image data used to map these water bodies becomes increasingly available, watershed models that evolve to address the cumulative impacts of small water bodies on evaporation and other hydrologic processes will have greater potential to benefit the water resource management community.     

Pan evaporation and potential evapotranspiration trends in South Florida

Declining trends in pan and lake evaporation have been reported. It is important to study this trend in every region to evaluate the validity of the trend and water management implications. Data from nine pan evaporation sites in South Florida were evaluated to see if there is a trend and if the quality of the data is sufficient for such analysis. The conclusion is that pan evaporation measurements are prone to too many sources of errors to be used for trend analysis. This condition is demonstrated in South Florida and in other regions by differences in magnitude and direction between spatially related pan stations and unexplainable observations. Also, potential evapotranspiration (ET_p) was estimated with the Simple (Abtew equation) and the Penman–Monteith method. Both cases indicated no decline in evapotranspiration for the period of analysis. Based on the decline in humidity and the increasing trend in vapor pressure deficit for the short period of analysis, 1992–2009, it appears that South Florida is experiencing increase in evaporation and evapotranspiration at this time assuming no systematic error in the weather stations' observations. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fuzzy logic model approaches to daily pan evaporation estimation in western Turkey / Estimation de l’évaporation journalière du bac dans l’Ouest de la Turquie par des modèles à base de logique floue

Abstract

Abstract Evaporation is one of the fundamental elements in the hydrological cycle, which affects the yield of river basins, the capacity of reservoirs, the consumptive use of water by crops and the yield of underground supplies. In general, there are two approaches in the evaporation estimation, namely, direct and indirect. The indirect methods such as the Penman and Priestley-Taylor methods are based on meteorological variables, whereas the direct methods include the class A pan evaporation measurement as well as others such as class GGI-3000 pan and class U pan. The major difficulty in using a class A pan for the direct measurements arises because of the subsequent application of coefficients based on the measurements from a small tank to large bodies of open water. Such difficulties can be accommodated by fuzzy logic reasoning and models as alternative approaches to classical evaporation estimation formulations were applied to Lake Egirdir in the western part of Turkey. This study has three objectives: to develop fuzzy models for daily pan evaporation estimation from measured meteorological data, to compare the fuzzy models with the widely-used Penman method, and finally to evaluate the potential of fuzzy models in such applications. Among the measured meteorological variables used to implement the models of daily pan evaporation prediction are the daily observations of air and water temperatures, sunshine hours, solar radiation, air pressure, relative humidity and wind speed. Comparison of the classical and fuzzy logic models shows a better agreement between the fuzzy model estimations and measurements of daily pan evaporation than the Penman method.     

A simple method using climatic variables to estimate canopy temperature,sensible and latent heat fluxes in a winter wheat field on the North China Plain

Estimation of evapotranspiration from a crop field is of great importance for detecting crop water status and proper irrigation scheduling. The Penman–Monteith equation is widely viewed as the best method to estimate evapotranspiration but it requires canopy resistance, which is very difficult to determine in practice. This paper presents a simple method simplified from the Penman–Monteith equation for estimating canopy temperature (T_c). The proposed method is a biophysically‐sound extended version of that proposed by Todorovic. The estimated canopy temperature is used to calculate sensible heat flux, and then latent heat flux is calculated as the residual of the surface energy balance. An eddy covariance (EC) system and an infrared thermometer (IRT) were installed in an irrigated winter wheat field on the North China Plain in 2004 and 2005, to measure T_c, and sensible and latent heat fluxes were used to test the modified Todorovic model (MTD). The results indicate that the original Todorovic model (TD) severely underestimates T_c and sensible heat flux, and hence severely overestimates the latent heat flux. However, the MTD model has good capability for estimating T_c, and gives acceptable results for latent heat flux at both half‐hourly and daily scales. The MTD model results also agreed well with the evapotranspiration calculated from the measured T_c. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Responses of canopy transpiration and canopy conductance of peach (Prunus persica) trees to alternate partial root zone drip irrigation

We investigated canopy transpiration and canopy conductance of peach trees under three irrigation patterns: fixed 1/2 partial root zone drip irrigation (FPRDI), alternate 1/2 partial root zone drip irrigation (APRDI) and full root zone drip irrigation (FDI). Canopy transpiration was measured using heat pulse sensors, and canopy conductance was calculated using the Jarvis model and the inversion of the Penman–Monteith equation. Results showed that the transpiration rate and canopy conductance in FPRDI and APRDI were smaller than those in FDI. More significantly, the total irrigation amount was greatly reduced, by 34·7% and 39·6%, respectively for APRDI and FPRDI in the PRDI (partial root zone drip irrigation) treatment period. The daily transpiration was linearly related to the reference evapotranspiration in the three treatments, but daily transpiration of FDI is more than that of APRDI and FPRDI under the same evaporation demand, suggesting a restriction of transpiration water loss in the APRDI and FPRDI trees. FDI needed a higher soil water content to carry the same amount of transpiration as the APRDI and FPRDI trees, suggesting the hydraulic conductance of roots of APRDI and FPRDI trees was enhanced, and the roots had a greater water uptake than in FDI when the average soil water content in the root zone was the same. By a comparison between the transpiration rates predicted by the Penman–Monteith equation and the measured canopy transpiration rates for 60 days during the experimental period, an excellent correlation along the 1:1 line was found for all the treatments (R² > 0·80), proving the reliability of the methodology. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaporation of perennial semi‐arid woodland in southeastern Australia is adapted for irregular but common dry periods

Measurements of water vapour flux from semi‐arid perennial woodland (mallee) were made for 3 years using eddy covariance instrumentation. There have been no previous long‐term, detailed measures of water use in this ecosystem. Latent energy flux (LE) on a half hourly basis was the measure of the combined soil and plant evaporation, ‘evapotranspiration’ (E_LE) of the site. Aggregation over 3 years of the site measured rain (1136 mm) and the estimated evaporation (794 mm) suggests that 342 mm or 30% of rain had moved into or past the root zone of the vegetation. Above average rainfall during 2011 and the first quarter of 2012 (633 mm, 15 months) would likely have been the period during which significant groundwater recharge occurred. At times immediately after rainfall, E_LE rates were the same or exceeded estimates of potential E calculated from a suitably parameterized Penman–Monteith (E_PMo) equation. Apparent free water E from plant interception and soil evaporation was about 2.3 mm and lasted for 1.3 days following rainfall in summer, while in autumn, E was 5.1 mm that lasted over 5.4 days. The leaf area index (LAI) needed to adjust a wind function calibrated Penman equation (E_PMe) to match the E_LE values could be back calculated to generate seasonal change in LAI from 0.12 to 0.46 and compared well with normalized difference vegetation index; r = 0.38 and p = 0.0213* and LAI calculated from digital cover photography. The apparently conservative response of perennial vegetation evaporation to available water in these semi‐arid environments reinforces the conclusion that these ecosystems use this mechanism to survive the reasonably common dry periods. Plant response to soil water availability is primarily through gradual changes in leaf area. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A method to map riparian exotic vegetation (Salix spp.) area to inform water resource management

Hydrological processes within riparian environments worldwide are impacted when introduced species invade. Monitoring and management at substantial expense, are subsequently required to combat deleterious effects on the environment and stream hydrology. Willow species (Salicaceae: Salix spp.) introduced into Australia have spread throughout many riparian systems causing adverse environmental impacts, with high rates of water extraction when located within stream beds (in‐stream willows) thus altering hydrology. Strategies exist to manage willows; however, simpler, more cost‐effective methods are required to map and monitor spatial and temporal distributions. A method is presented to discriminate willow stands from surrounding native riparian vegetation using a single, very high 2 m resolution multispectral WorldView‐2 satellite image. A combination of spectral bands ‘coastal blue’ (400–450 nm), ‘red’ (630–690 nm), ‘red edge’ (705–745 nm) and ‘near infrared2’ (860–1040 nm), minimum noise fraction transformation, median filtering and maximum likelihood supervised classification provided the highest discriminatory power within a 25 km² study area. Of the spectral bands, coastal blue, red edge and near infrared2 are new bands that are not available in other multispectral sensors. These bands proved critical to the success of discriminating willows from other land cover categories (overall accuracy of 97%). Stream channels were defined by incorporating a LiDAR‐derived digital elevation model to discriminate between willows on stream banks and within stream beds. Canopy area estimates of in‐stream willows, coupled with water savings estimates from willow removal, suggest removal of 10.4 ha of Salix fragilis canopy from within river channels in the study area will potentially return 41 ML year^?1 to the environment. The method presented improves our understanding of willow impacts on hydrology and aids decisions regarding willow removal for water resource management. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Regional potential evapotranspiration in arid climates based on temperature,topography and calculated solar radiation

Values of evapotranspiration are required for a variety of water planning activities in arid and semi‐arid climates, yet data requirements are often large, and it is costly to obtain this information. This work presents a method where a few, readily available data (temperature, elevation) are required to estimate potential evapotranspiration (PET). A method using measured temperature and the calculated ratio of total to vertical radiation (after the work of Behnke and Maxey, 1969) to estimate monthly PET was applied for the months of April–October and compared with pan evaporation measurements. The test area used in this work was in Nevada, which has 124 weather stations that record sufficient amounts of temperature data. The calculated PET values were found to be well correlated (R²=0·940–0·983, slopes near 1·0) with mean monthly pan evaporation measurements at eight weather stations.In order to extrapolate these calculated PET values to areas without temperature measurements and to sites at differing elevations, the state was divided into five regions based on latitude, and linear regressions of PET versus elevation were calculated for each of these regions. These extrapolated PET values generally compare well with the pan evaporation measurements (R²=0·926–0·988, slopes near 1·0). The estimated values are generally somewhat lower than the pan measurements, in part because the effects of wind are not explicitly considered in the calculations, and near‐freezing temperatures result in a calculated PET of zero at higher elevations in the spring months. The calculated PET values for April–October are 84–100% of the measured pan evaporation values. Using digital elevation models in a geographical information system, calculated values were adjusted for slope and aspect, and the data were used to construct a series of maps of monthly PET. The resultant maps show a realistic distribution of regional variations in PET throughout Nevada which inversely mimics topography. The general methods described here could be used to estimate regional PET in other arid western states (e.g. New Mexico, Arizona, Utah) and arid regions world‐wide (e.g. parts of Africa). Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Intercomparison of evapotranspiration estimates

Abstract

Five methods of computing reference evapotranspiration from a reference crop (Penman, radiation, Blaney-Criddle, Hargreaves and pan evaporation) have been studied for their applicability under different climatic conditions. The Penman method was taken as the standard and the other four methods were compared against this method. Good correlation was obtained between the values estimated by the four methods and the Penman method although differences in magnitude were found. Regression equations were developed to correct those differences in magnitude. The method suitable for the estimation of reference evapotranspiration for each climatic condition is also suggested.     

Water use by intensively cultivated willow using estimated stomatal parameter values

Large land areas in Sweden are planned to be planted with high producing, short rotation forest stands of willow in the beginning of the 1990s. Since willow is a highly hydrophilic species, this new land use may have strong implications on water resources. To assess these implications, evaporation of Salix viminalis and Salix viminalis x caprea stands in lysimeters was analysed with the simple, yet physically realistic KAUSHA model. Parameter values for the Lohammar equation were deduced (b = 100 m³ kg^?1, k_max = 0.01 m s^?1), believed to be applicable to other sites. Simulated evaporation during the 1980 growth season for a normal stand with a production of 12 tonnes of dry matter per hectare per season was 526 mm, of which 375 mm was transpiration, 56 mm interception evaporation, and 95 mm soil evaporation. For an optimally irrigated 20-tonnes stand, the total evaporation was 584 mm, of which 430 mm was transpiration. As a comparison, Penman open water evaporation was 430 mm. To avoid soil water stress in the 20-tonnes stand, 140 mm was needed as irrigation, equivalent to 25 per cent of the mean annual precipitation. Since intensively cultivated willow plantations seemed to be using much water, it was concluded that introduction of this agri-forestry practice must be carefully planned to make use of this property, e.g. in biological filters or in reclaiming water-logged land.     

Effects of the introduction of rice on evapotranspiration in seasonal wetlands

Land use changes in wetland areas can alter evapotranspiration, a major component of the water balance, which eventually affects the water cycle and ecosystem. This study assessed the effect of introduced rice‐cropping on evapotranspiration in seasonal wetlands of northern Namibia. By using the Bowen ratio–energy balance method, measurements of evapotranspiration were performed over a period of 2.5 years at two wetland sites—a rice field (RF) and a natural vegetation field (NVF)—and at one upland field (UF) devoid of surface water. The mean evapotranspiration rates of RF (1.9 mm daytime^?1) and NVF (1.8 mm daytime^?1) were greater than that in UF (1.0 mm daytime^?1). RF and NVF showed a slight difference in seasonal variations in evapotranspiration rates. During the dry season, RF evapotranspiration was less than the NVF evapotranspiration. The net radiation in RF was less in this period because of the higher albedo of the non‐vegetated surface after rice harvesting. In the early growth period of rice during the wet season, evapotranspiration in RF was higher than that in NVF, which was attributed to a difference in the evaporation efficiency and the transfer coefficient for latent heat that were both affected by leaf area index (LAI). Evapotranspiration sharply negatively responded to an increase in LAI when surface water is present according to sensitivity analysis, probably because a higher LAI over a surface suppresses evaporation. The control of LAI is therefore a key for reducing evaporation and conserving water. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaporation estimation on Lake Titicaca: a synthesis review and modelling

The aim of this study was to validate evaporation models that can be used for palaeo‐reconstructions of large lake water levels. Lake Titicaca, located in a high‐altitude semi‐arid tropical area in the northern Andean Altiplano, was the object of this case study. As annual evaporation is about 90% of lake output, the lake water balance depends heavily on the yearly and monthly evaporation flux. At the interannual scale, evaporation estimation presents great variability, ranging from 1350 to 1900 mm year^?1. It has been found that evaporation is closely related to lake rainfall by a decreasing relationship integrating the implicit effect of nebulosity and humidity. At the seasonal scale, two monthly evaporation data sets were used: pan observations and estimations derived from the lake energy budget. Comparison between these data sets shows that (i) there is one maximum per year for pan evaporation and two maxima per year for lake evaporation, and (ii) pan evaporation is greater than lake evaporation by about 100 mm year^?1. These differences, mainly due to a water depth scale factor, have been simulated with a simple thermal model θ_w(h, t) of a free‐surface water column. This shows that pan evaporation (h = 0·20 m) is strongly correlated with direct solar radiation, whereas the additional maximum of lake evaporation (h = 40 m) is related to the heat restitution towards the atmosphere from the water body at the end of summer. Finally, five monthly evaporation models were tested in order to obtain the optimal efficiency/complexity ratio. When the forcing variables are limited to those that are most readily available in the past, i.e. air temperature and solar radiation, the best results are obtained with the radiative Abtew model (r = 0·70) and with the Makkink radiative/air temperature model (r = 0·67). Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A simple temperature method for the estimation of evapotranspiration

Accurate estimation of evapotranspiration (ET) is essential in water resources management and hydrological practices. Estimation of ET in areas, where adequate meteorological data are not available, is one of the challenges faced by water resource managers. Hence, a simplified approach, which is less data intensive, is crucial. The FAO‐56 Penman–Monteith (FAO‐56 PM) is a sole global standard method, but it requires numerous weather data for the estimation of reference ET. A new simple temperature method is developed, which uses only maximum temperature data to estimate ET. Ten class I weather stations data were collected from the National Meteorological Agency of Ethiopia. This method was compared with the global standard PM method, the observed Piche evaporimeter data, and the well‐known Hargreaves (HAR) temperature method. The coefficient of determination (R²) of the new method was as high as 0.74, 0.75, and 0.91, when compared with that of PM reference evapotranspiration (ET_o), Piche evaporimeter data, and HAR methods, respectively. The annual average R² over the ten stations when compared with PM, Piche, and HAR methods were 0.65, 0.67, and 0.84, respectively. The Nash–Sutcliff efficiency of the new method compared with that of PM was as high as 0.67. The method was able to estimate daily ET with an average root mean square error and an average absolute mean error of 0.59 and 0.47 mm, respectively, from the PM ET_o method. The method was also tested in dry and wet seasons and found to perform well in both seasons. The average R² of the new method with the HAR method was 0.82 and 0.84 in dry and wet seasons, respectively. During validation, the average R² and Nash–Sutcliff values when compared with Piche evaporation were 0.67 and 0.51, respectively. The method could be used for the estimation of daily ET_o where there are insufficient data. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Long-term pan evaporation observations as a resource to understand the water cycle trend: case studies from Australia

Abstract

Acceleration of the global water cycle over recent decades remains uncertain because of the high inter-annual variability of its components. Observations of pan evaporation (E_pan), a proxy of potential evapotranspiration (ET_p), may help to identify trends in the water cycle over long periods. The complementary relationship (CR) states that ET_p and actual evapotranspiration (ET_a) depend on each other in a complementary manner, through land–atmosphere feedbacks in water-limited environments. Using a long-term series of E_pan observations in Australia, we estimated monthly ET_a by the CR and compared our estimates with ET_a measured at eddy covariance Fluxnet stations. The results confirm that our approach, entirely data-driven, can reliably estimate ET_a only in water-limited conditions. Furthermore, our analysis indicated that ET_a did not show any significant trend in the last 30 years, while short-term analysis may indicate a rapid climate change that is not perceived in a long-term perspective.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz; Associate editor D. Gerten

Citation Lugato, E., Alberti, G., Gioli. B., Kaplan, J.O., Peressotti, A., and Miglietta, F., 2013. Long-term pan evaporation observations as a resource to understand the water cycle trend: case studies from Australia. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58 (6), 1287–1296.     

Seasonal and monthly hydrological budgets of a fen‐dominated forested watershed,James Bay region,Quebec

The hydrology of Quebec, Canada, boreal fens is poorly documented. Many peatlands are located in watersheds with impounded rivers. In such cases, their presence influences reservoir inflows. In recent years, some fens have been subjected to an increase of their wet area, a sign that they may be evolving towards an aquatic ecosystem. This dynamic process is called aqualysis. This article presents the seasonal and monthly hydrological budgets of a small watershed including a highly aqualysed fen (James Bay region). The monitoring of precipitation (P), runoff (Q) and groundwater levels (WL) was conducted during the ice‐free season. Three semiempirical equations (Thornthwaite, Priestley–Taylor and Penman–Monteith) were used and compared to calculate potential evapotranspiration. The first two equations, having fewer parameters, estimate higher potential evapotranspiration values than the third equation. The use of pressure‐level gauges installed in wells, for the calculation of peatland water storage, is inconclusive. Swelling of peat, peat decomposition and plant composition could be responsible for nonnegligible amounts of absorbed water, which are not entirely accounted for by well levels. The estimation of peat matrix water storage is potentially the largest source of error and the limiting factor to calculate water balances in this environment. The results show that the groundwater level and the water storage vary depending on the season and especially after a heavy rainfall. Finally, the results illustrate the complexity of water routing through the site and thus raise several questions to be resolved in the future. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparison of Salix Genotypes for Co-Phytofiltration of Iron and Manganese from Simulated Contaminated Groundwater in a Floating Culture System

Groundwater contamination with iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) is directly related to drink water safety. It remains challenging to simultaneously remove Fe and Mn from groundwater by conventional physical and chemical methods. Willows (Salix spp.) show promise for co-phytofiltration of Mn and Fe from groundwater. Here, a floating culture system was developed using willows for co-phytofiltration of Mn and Fe from simulated groundwater. Genotypic differences of willows were evaluated in terms of their tolerance to and accumulation of a mixture of Fe and Mn. The results showed that the growth responses of eight genotypes significantly differed to a mixture of Fe and Mn, ranging from growth inhibition to enhancement. Tolerance index analysis further indicated wide variation in the responses of willows. Tissue-specific analysis also revealed genotypic variation in the capacity of willows for translocation and accumulation of Fe and Mn. Compared with other genotypes, SB7 (Salix babylonica) and J842 (S. babylonica × Salix alba) demonstrated higher co-phytofiltration potentials for Fe and Mn based on tolerance, tissue metal concentrations, and shoot metal contents. Thus, both SB7 and J842 are candidates for co-phytofiltration of Fe and Mn from groundwater.     

Wetland versus open water evaporation: An analysis and literature review

Is the total evaporation from a wetland surface (including: open water evaporation, plant transpiration and wet/dry soil evaporation) similar, lower, or higher than evaporation from an open water surface under the same climatic conditions? This question has been the subject of long debate; the literature does not show a consensus. In this paper we contribute to the discussion in two steps. First, we analyse the evaporation from a wetland with emergent vegetation (E_a) versus open water evaporation (E_w) by applying the Penman–Monteith equation to identical climate input data, but with different biophysical characteristics of each surface. Second, we assess the variability of measured E_a/E_w through a literature review of selected wetlands around the globe.We demonstrate that the ratio E_a/E_w is site-specific, and a function of the biophysical properties of the wetland surface, which can also undergo temporal variability depending on local hydro-climate conditions. Second, we demonstrate that the Penman–Monteith model provides a suitable basis to interpret E_a/E_w variations. This implies that the assumption of wetland evaporation to behave similar to open water bodies is not correct. This has significant implications for the total water consumption and water allocation to wetlands in river basin management.