Water loss through evapotranspiration after precipitation events in bioenergy crops grown in similar climatic conditions
- Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI (United States)
- Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI (United States); Kazak National Agrarian Research University, Almaty (Kazakhstan)
- Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI (United States); L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University (Kazakhstan)
The relationship between precipitation and evapotranspiration (ET) is critical to understanding water cycle related dynamics in ecosystems, including crops. Existing studies of bioenergy crops have primarily focused on annual or seasonal ET rates, with less attention given to the immediate ET response following precipitation events. This study examines the variation in ET rates in the days subsequent to precipitation events across various bioenergy crops—corn, switchgrass, and prairies—utilizing 13 years (2010–2022) of growing season data. Meteorological and eddy covariance flux data were collected from seven eddy covariance flux towers as part of the GLBRC scale-up experiment at the Kellogg Biological Station Long Term Ecological Research sites. The analysis revealed that average ET peaked the day after precipitation and declined linearly over the following days, with a statistically significant relationship (p-value = 0.00027, R2 = 0.96). Neither the type of biofuel vegetation nor the historical land use significantly influenced ET post-precipitation events (p-values = 0.53 and 0.153, respectively). Key predictors of ET following precipitation events include shortwave radiation, season, day of the year, ambient temperature, vapor pressure deficit (VPD), long-wave radiation, precipitation amount, soil moisture, and annual variability. These findings enhance our comprehension of ET responses in bioenergy crop systems, with implications for water management in sustainable agriculture.
- Research Organization:
- Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC), Madison, WI (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- FC02-07ER64494; SC0018409
- OSTI ID:
- 2507030
- Journal Information:
- Frontiers in Environmental Science, Journal Name: Frontiers in Environmental Science Vol. 12; ISSN 2296-665X
- Publisher:
- Frontiers Research FoundationCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Data from: Nitrous oxide emissions during establishment of eight alternative cellulosic bioenergy cropping systems in the North Central United States
Pest suppression potential varies across 10 bioenergy cropping systems