涡度相关法研究土壤水分状况对沙地杨树人工林生态系统能量分配和蒸散日变化的影响

为了解位于北京大兴区林场杨树人工林在不同的土壤水分环境条件下的水汽交换过程和能量的分配差异及其与环境因子关系,运用涡度相关（Eddy covariance,EC）法开路系统、常规微气象观测系统及土壤热通量板等设施对生态系统生长季内典型水分胁迫和无水分胁迫条件下蒸散日变化、能量分配以及与各环境因子的关系进行了测定分析和比较。结果表明,在水分严重胁迫日（以7月7日为例）,蒸散日变化过程为单峰曲线,全天（24h）蒸散量为2.4mm;而在无水分胁迫典型日（以7月25日为例）,蒸散日变化过程呈多峰曲线,全天蒸散量为4．5mm。能量平衡分析显示,无水分胁迫条件下潜热通量（LE）占净辐射通量（Rn）的比例远高于水分胁迫条件下潜热通量占净辐射通量的比例,说明水分充足时,能量的大部分用于蒸散。水分胁迫条件下蒸散速率与各环境因子的相关性均低于无水分胁迫条件下蒸散速率与环境因子的相关性。水分胁迫条件下,蒸散速率主要与净辐射和下垫面因子关系显著,而与其它因子的相关性较小;无水分胁迫条件下,蒸散速率与下垫面土体含水量和各气象因子均表现出较强的相关性。大气温度对于两个典型日蒸散速率的影响均很小;土壤含水量与水分胁迫日的蒸散速率几乎没有相关性,反应出土壤水分含量低至对蒸散几乎没有贡献了。     

盐生荒漠地表水热与二氧化碳通量的季节变化及驱动因素

以古尔班通古特沙漠南缘原始盐生荒漠为对象,利用涡度相关法,对原始盐生荒漠地表水热、二氧化碳通量进行了连续观测,对通量的季节变化、浅层土壤水分条件改变对盐生荒漠植物群落水汽、二氧化碳通量以及水分利用效率的影响进行了系统的分析.结果表明:净辐射通量、潜热通量和二氧化碳通量都具有明显的季节变化趋势,而显热通量的季节变化不明显.在有效能量的分配上,显热通量是有效能量的主要输出项.在降水影响期和非影响期,二氧化碳通量没有明显的变化;而在非降水影响期潜热通量明显降低,表明土壤水分处于亏缺状态,但二氧化碳通量并没有降低的趋势,而与前期保持高度的一致性.以此可以推断,该荒漠盐生植物群落并不以降水为主要水分来源,降水后水汽通量和二氧化碳通量变化的不一致性是该原始盐生荒漠独特植物特征决定的.降水影响期原始盐生荒漠植物群落的水分利用效率低于非影响期,是由于降水后土壤蒸发迅速增加,而植物蒸腾与光合并未随之增加造成的.     

黄土高原农牧交错带稀疏自然植被生态系统的地表能量特征

基于2011-2012年黄土高原农牧交错带稀疏自然植被生态系统的地表能量通量以及气象数据,对该地区能量平衡各分量(净辐射、感热、潜热和土壤热通量)以及波文比进行日、季节动态的特征分析,研究了潜热通量和感热通量对不同强度降雨事件响应程度的差异,并分析了潜热通量和感热通量的主控因子.结果表明:该地区净辐射、感热、潜热和土壤热通量的日、季节动态曲线均为单峰型曲线,净辐射、感热通量、潜热通量和土壤热通量的年平均值分别为78.19、33.32、24.91和2.65 W·m-2.在全年能量收支平衡中,感热通量占净辐射的43％,潜热通量占32％,土壤热通量占3％,表明对于黄土高原农牧交错带自然稀疏灌木生态系统,全年能量主要以感热的形式交换.生长季感热和潜热占净辐射的比例相同(36％);而在非生长季,感热占主导,占净辐射的比例高达54％.潜热通量在强、弱降雨事件发生后明显升高,感热通量则明显下降.潜热通量与净辐射、水汽压差及植被参数均显著相关,感热通量与净辐射及空气温度梯度显著相关.     

黄河小浪底人工混交林生长季能量平衡特征

利用涡度相关系统和小气候梯度观测系统,对黄河小浪底人工混交林2012年生长季(5—9月)各能量通量进行了连续观测,分析了该生态系统能量平衡各项的变化特征,讨论了能量闭合状况。结果表明:潜热通量、感热通量和土壤热通量均与净辐射有类似的日变化特征。各项的绝对值大小表现为净辐射潜热通量感热通量土壤热通量。受日照时数的影响,5—9月能量平衡各项正值的日持续时间逐渐缩短。生长季,净辐射、感热通量和土壤热通量在6月份最大,最大值分别为418.5、231.4和12.5 MJ m-2month-1);潜热通量在7月份达到最大,最大值为320.8 MJ m-2month-1)。潜热通量、感热通量和土壤热通量占净辐射的比例分别在0.48—0.62、0.15—0.55、0.02—0.05之间。人工混交林生长季的能量分配主要以潜热通量和感热通量为主,且潜热通量为感热通量的2倍。波文比呈单峰曲线:6月最大,8月最小。黄河小浪底人工混交林生长季全天能量闭合度为79%。其中,白天闭合程度较高(81%),夜晚较低(41%)。本研究站点存在21%的能量不闭合。其原因可能与通量源区面积不匹配、忽略冠层热储存、湍流能的相位差等有关。     

降雨和非降雨日兴安落叶松天然林蒸腾及蒸散发特征

综合利用树干液流法和涡动相关技术,对大兴安岭北部寒温带兴安落叶松(Larix gmelinii)天然林的林木蒸腾(T)和生态系统蒸散发(ET)进行连续监测;采用边材面积对单木蒸腾耗水进行尺度扩展,分析降雨和非降雨日林木总蒸腾(T_(tot))及其蒸腾组分(优势木蒸腾T_d、中等木蒸腾T_i和劣势木蒸腾T_s)与生态系统ET的变化特征,探讨T_(tot)与ET对水汽压亏缺(VPD)和净辐射(R_n)变化的响应。结果表明:降雨和非降雨日各分化等级林木液流速率的日变化均呈典型单峰格局,且降雨日的T_(tot)(9.7mm)低于非降雨日(31.4 mm),同时T_d在降雨和非降雨日均明显高于T_i和T_s。降雨日的ET(24.7 mm)同样低于非降雨日(50.6mm),而潜热通量与同期R_n之比(31%)则高于非降雨日(25.1%),表明非降雨日的环境条件较有利于植物-大气界面的水汽通量交换。降雨日T_(tot)/ET、T_d/ET、T_i/ET和T_s/ET(分别为38.1%、27.2%、8.5%和2.4%)均低于非降雨日(分别为65.0%、45.5%、15.3%和4.2%),说明降雨日的ET以自由水蒸发为主,而非降雨日时则以T_d占优;同时,仅以优势木蒸腾耗水作为平均水平进行尺度上推易高估林分的蒸腾能力。总体上,T_(tot)与VPD、R_n的相关性均较ET的高,即T_(tot)对环境因子的响应略敏感;同时R_n与T_(tot)、ET的相关性均较VPD高,说明R_n是驱动生态系统水汽通量的首要条件。     

红壤坡地干旱季节地表-大气界面水分传输——以茶园为例

以红壤坡地茶园为研究对象 ,用波纹比——能量平衡法研究了红壤坡地干旱季节地表 -大气界面水热传输特性 ,结果表明 :在茶园稳定生态系统中 ,气象因素和表层土壤含水量是影响地表 -大气界面水热传输的重要因素。特别是在受旱条件下 ,土壤水分对地表 -大气界面水热传输起决定作用 ,土壤水分越小 ,潜热通量越小 ,显热通量越大 ,反之亦然。观测期间 ,棵间蒸发量占总蒸散量的 3 2 % ,因此通过减少田间土壤水分蒸发来提高农田水分利用效率大有可为     

用热脉冲速度记录仪（HPVR）测定树干液流

树木蒸腾耗水是环境生态平衡(水分)的重要因素。由于树体高大,环境、时间、空间变异因素复杂,测定工作十分困难。在林木生态系统中,水分运动的途径是,树木根部吸收土壤水分,通过树干(木质部上升液流)输送到树冠部,从叶表面蒸腾散失到大气中,即所谓“土壤-植物-大气连续系统”。在此过程中,树干是水流通道的咽喉部位,树干液流量的大小制约着冠部蒸腾量的变化。因此,可以用测定树干部液流的方法确定树冠的蒸腾耗水     

无水分胁迫下行作物蒸发散与双涌源能量分配和交换关系

以内蒙古浑善达克沙地人工草地种植的行作物——青贮玉米为研究对象,将FAO-56的双作物系数法与双涌源能量平衡模型相结合,计算了太阳入射能量按叶面积指数（LAI）分配到两个涌源（冠层、土壤表面）的有效能量A_c和A_s、潜热通量λE_c和λE_s以及显热通量H_c和H_s.分析两个涌源在有效能量驱使下的潜热和显热通量相互作用.结果表明,1）在无水分胁迫条件下,冠层H_c与λE_c相互作用使冠层吸收微热平流,强化蒸腾作用,加大蒸腾量.蒸腾（以潜热通量表示）超过冠层有效能量的增量(λE_cⁱ-A_cⁱ).最大值出现在生长发育阶段LAI为0.6的7月15日到LAI为2.4 的8月9日之间,其平均值为4.32 MJ·m^-2·d^-1.2）无水分胁迫情况下,λE_s和H_s相互作用,除强湿润过程后的1~2 d外,其他各天土壤均以低于土壤表面有效能量的速率蒸发.蒸发强度取决于土壤表面有效能量消散为土壤潜热通量的百分比,这个百分比最小值出现在生长中期阶段,其平均值为11.5%;最大值出现在生长初始阶段,其平均值为51.9%.3）两个涌源潜热通量是蒸散过程中能量交换的主要成分,在生长发育、中期、后期阶段转换为两个涌源潜热通量的有效能量均占总能量的83%以上.     

我国亚热带毛竹林生长季能量通量过程及闭合度分析

为探讨我国亚热带毛竹林(Phyllostachys edulis)生长季的能量平衡关系,利用开路涡度相关法,对2011年毛竹林生长季的能量通量的变化特征进行了研究,并应用能量平衡比率法和线性回归2种方法,分析了能量闭合的特点。结果表明,我国亚热带毛竹林生长季的净辐射总量为1738.2 MJ m–2,显热通量为354.3 MJ m–2,潜热通量为1146.0 MJ m–2,土壤热通量为58.9 MJ m–2,土壤为热汇,显热通量占净辐射的20.4%,潜热通量占65.9%,土壤热通量占3.4%。毛竹林生长季的能量闭合度为0.89,月平均闭合度为0.91,但仍有11%的能量不闭合。可见,毛竹林生长季以潜热能量散失形式为主,各能量分量均以净辐射变化为基础,且日变化基本呈单峰型曲线。     

亚热带毛竹林生态系统能量通量及平衡分析

利用开路涡度相关系统和常规气象观测仪器,对亚热带(浙江省)毛竹林生态系统2011年的净辐射、显热通量、潜热通量、土壤热通量以及气温、地温、降雨量等气象要素进行了连续观测,定量分析了毛竹林生态系统能量通量的变化和各能量分量的分配特征,并计算了能量闭合度以及波文比。结果表明:毛竹林全年净辐射为2628.00 MJ/m2,显热通量为576.80 MJ/m2,潜热通量为1666.77 MJ/m2,土壤热通量为-7.52 MJ/m2,土壤为热源,各能量分量季节变化明显,日变化基本呈单峰型曲线变化。显热通量占净辐射的22.0%,潜热通量占63.4%,毛竹林生态系统潜热通量为能量散失的主要形式。波文比逐月变化规律不明显,波动较大,在0.07—1.77之间变化,能量平衡比率法得出毛竹林年能量闭合度为0.85,月平均闭合度为0.84,能量闭合度高于线性回归法计算结果,但仍有15%的能量不闭合。     

基于热扩散技术的梭梭树干液流特征研究

利用TDP热扩散式茎流计,结合自动气象站,对古尔班通古特沙漠南缘原生梭梭的树干液流及环境因子进行连续监测,分析了梭梭树干液流对环境要素的响应,建立了生长季梭梭树干液流与环境因子的关系,估算出梭梭群落的日、季耗水量。结果表明:(1)液流速率日变化主要为单峰曲线,夏季偶有出现双峰曲线,不同季节间的液流速率大小差异显著,夏季树干液流启动早,峰值出现早,夜间持续有微弱的液流;(2)梭梭树干瞬时液流速率与风速、净辐射、空气温度、饱和水汽压亏缺值等因素呈显著正相关,与实际水汽压和空气湿度呈极显著负相关,影响梭梭树干瞬时液流速率变化的关键因子是净辐射和饱和水汽压亏缺值是导致树干液流速率瞬时变化的关键因子;(3)梭梭树干日均液流速率与净辐射、空气温度、实际水汽压、土壤含水率和土壤温度等呈极显著正相关,与空气湿度等呈极显著负相关,与风速相关性不显著,影响梭梭日均液流速率变化的关键因子是净辐射、饱和水汽压亏缺和空气温度。     

Genotypic variation in transpiration of coppiced poplar during the third rotation of a short‐rotation bio‐energy culture

The productivity of short‐rotation coppice (SRC) plantations with poplar (Populus spp.) strongly depends on soil water availability, which limits the future development of its cultivation, and makes the study of the transpirational water loss particularly timely under the ongoing climate change (more frequent drought and floods). This study assesses the transpiration at different scales (leaf, tree and stand) of four poplar genotypes belonging to different species and from a different genetic background grown under an SRC regime. Measurements were performed for an entire growing season during the third year of the third rotation in a commercial scale multigenotype SRC plantation in Flanders (Belgium). Measurements at leaf level were performed on specific days with a contrasted evaporative demand, temperature and incoming shortwave radiation and included stomatal conductance, stem and leaf water potential. Leaf transpiration and leaf hydraulic conductance were obtained from these measurements. To determine the transpiration at the tree level, single‐stem sap flow using the stem heat balance (SHB) method and daily stem diameter variations were measured during the entire growing season. Sap flow‐based canopy transpiration (E_c), seasonal dry biomass yield, and water use efficiency (WUE; g aboveground dry matter/kg water transpired) of the four poplar genotypes were also calculated. The genotypes had contrasting physiological responses to environmental drivers and to soil conditions. Sap flow was tightly linked to the phenological stage of the trees and to the environmental variables (photosynthetically active radiation and vapor pressure deficit). The total E_c for the 2016 growing season was of 334, 350, 483 and 618 mm for the four poplar genotypes, Bakan, Koster, Oudenberg and Grimminge, respectively. The differences in physiological traits and in transpiration of the four genotypes resulted in different responses of WUE.     

永定河沿河沙地杨树人工林蒸腾耗水特征及其环境响应

杨树是我国北方最常见的人工造林树种之一。一直以来在干旱、半干旱地区,速生杨树用材林和生态防护林的耗水问题备受关注。研究不同生长发育阶段杨树人工林蒸腾耗水及其对各环境因子的响应对于实现杨树人工林可持续经营具有重要价值。采用树干液流法结合微气象观测系统和土壤水分观测,在2010—2011年对位于北京南郊大兴林场、林龄为13a的杨树人工林林分蒸腾耗水和环境因子进行了同步观测,以期能够探究该林分的蒸腾耗水及其对环境因子的响应。结果表明,树干液流密度(Js)日变化呈明显的单峰曲线,单株样木耗水量随着胸径的增加而增大。在半小时尺度上,单株树木Js与浄辐射(Rn)、饱和水气压差(VPD)存在时滞,这种时滞现象随土壤水分条件不同而变化。林分蒸腾耗水总量在2010和2011年生长季内分别为113.7 mm和174.8 mm,占同期降雨的30.2%和36.9%,与该杨树人工林前期研究相比,随着林龄的增长2010—2011年的蒸腾量呈减小趋势。日尺度上,该人工林蒸腾耗水与净辐射(Rn)、饱和水汽压差(VPD)和土壤体积含水率(SWC)显著相关,在不同土壤水分条件下Rn与林分蒸腾的相关关系发生变化,而VPD过高会对林分蒸腾产生抑制。林分月蒸腾和年总蒸腾主要取决于同期降雨量,因此,降雨年际差异较大时,蒸腾的年际变化也相应较大。     

Assessment of transpiration estimates for Picea abies trees during a growing season

Summary The tree-trunk heat balance method with internal heating and sensing of temperature was used to estimate sap-flow rate of spruce trees in a stand in southern Sweden. Sap-flow rate values were scaled up to stand transpiration and utilised for calculation of canopy conductance. The calculated values provided the basis for a function relating canopy conductance to vapour pressure deficit, which was implemented in the Penman-Monteith equation. The stand was mostly growing in non-limiting soil water conditions (irrigation regime applied during dry periods). The whole-season transpiration was assessed by two different approaches and then compared: the sap-flow rate measurements were scaled to stand transpiration and the adapted Penman-Monteith estimate. They gave similar results: the transpiration totals differed by 3% and the coefficient of determination of the linear regression was r² = 0.89. Similarly good was the assessment for a set of rainy days. The Penman-Monteith estimate adapted in this way proved to be reasonably precise and reliable in this forest stand and usable even in wet conditions. The seasonal transpiration of the spruce stand was 392 mm according to the adapted Penman-Monteith equation. Mean daily transpiration was 1.8 mm and daily maximum transpiration was 4.8–4.9 mm as estimated by sap-flow rate measurements.     

Water use of a multigenotype poplar short‐rotation coppice from tree to stand scale

Short‐rotation coppice (SRC) has great potential for supplying biomass‐based heat and energy, but little is known about SRC's ecological footprint, particularly its impact on the water cycle. To this end, we quantified the water use of a commercial scale poplar (Populus) SRC plantation in East Flanders (Belgium) at tree and stand level, focusing primarily on the transpiration component. First, we used the AquaCrop model and eddy covariance flux data to analyse the different components of the stand‐level water balance for one entire growing season. Transpiration represented 59% of evapotranspiration (ET) at stand scale over the whole year. Measured ET and modelled ET were lower as compared to the ET of reference grassland, suggesting that the SRC only used a limited amount of water. Secondly, we compared leaf area scaled and sapwood area scaled sap flow (F_s) measurements on individual plants vs. stand scale eddy covariance flux data during a 39‐day intensive field campaign in late summer 2011. Daily stem diameter variation (?D) was monitored simultaneously with F_s to understand water use strategies for three poplar genotypes. Canopy transpiration based on sapwood area or leaf area scaling was 43.5 and 50.3 mm, respectively, and accounted for 74%, respectively, 86%, of total ecosystem ET measured during the intensive field campaign. Besides differences in growth, the significant intergenotypic differences in daily ?D (due to stem shrinkage and swelling) suggested different water use strategies among the three genotypes which were confirmed by the sap flow measurements. Future studies on the prediction of SRC water use, or efforts to enhance the biomass yield of SRC genotypes, should consider intergenotypic differences in transpiration water losses at tree level as well as the SRC water balance at stand level.     

Energy and Mass Exchange Over Incomplete Vegetation Cover

Competition for fresh water between agriculture and domestic and industrial uses is increasing worldwide. This is forcing subsistence and commercial agriculture to produce more with less water. Consequently, it is crucial to properly and efficiently manage water resources. This requires accurate determination of crop water loss into the atmosphere, which is greatly influenced by the exchange of energy and mass between the surface and the atmosphere. Measurement of these exchange processes can best be accomplished by micrometeorological methods. However, most micrometeorological methods are very expensive, difficult to set up, require extensive post-data collection corrections and/or involve a high degree of empiricism. This review discusses estimation of evapotranspiration using relatively inexpensive micrometeorological methods in temperature-variance (TV), surface renewal (SR) and mathematical models. The TV and SR methods use high frequency air temperature measurements above a surface to estimate sensible heat flux (H). The latent heat flux (λE), and hence evapotranspiration, is calculated as a residual of the shortened surface energy balance using measured or estimated net radiation and soil heat flux, assuming surface energy balance closure is met. For crops with incomplete cover, the disadvantage of these methods is that they do not allow separation of evapotranspiration into soil evaporation and plant transpiration. The mathematical models (single- and dual-source) involve a combination of radiation and resistance equations to determine evapotranspiration from inputs of automatic weather station observations. Single-source models (Penman-Monteith type equations) are used to determine evapotranspiration over homogeneous surfaces. The dual-source models, basically an extension of single-source models, determine soil evaporation and plant transpiration separately over heterogeneous or sparse vegetation. These mathematical models have also been modified to accommodate inputs of remotely-sensed radiometric surface temperatures that enable estimation of evapotranspiration on a regional and global scale.     

Partitioning evapotranspiration fluxes from a Colorado grassland using stable isotopes: Seasonal variations and ecosystem implications of elevated atmospheric CO2

The stable isotopic composition of soil water is controlled by precipitation inputs, antecedent conditions, and evaporative losses. Because transpiration does not fractionate soil water isotopes, the relative proportions of evaporation and transpiration can be estimated using a simple isotopic mass balance approach. At our site in the shortgrass steppe in semi-arid northeastern Colorado, ¹⁸O values of soil water were almost always more enriched than those of precipitation inputs, owing to evaporative losses. The proportion of water lost by evaporation (E/ET) during the growing season ranged from nil to about 40% (to >90% in the dormant season), and was related to the timing of precipitation inputs. The sum of transpiration plus evaporation losses estimated by isotopic mass balance were similar to actual evapotranspiration measured from a nearby Bowen ratio system. We also investigated the evapotranspiration response of this mixed C₃/C₄ grassland to doubled atmospheric [CO₂] using Open-Top Chambers (OTC). Elevated atmospheric [CO₂] led to increased soil-water conservation via reduced stomatal conductance, despite greater biomass growth. We used a non-invasive method to measure the ¹⁸O of soil CO₂ as a proxy for soil water, after establishing a strong relationship between ¹⁸O of soil CO₂ from non-chambered control (NC) plots and ¹⁸O of soil–water from an adjacent area of native grassland. Soil–CO₂ ¹⁸O values showed significant treatment effects, particularly during a dry summer: values in ambient chambers (AC) were more enriched than in NC and elevated chamber (EC) plots. During the dry growing season of 2000, transpiration from the EC treatment was higher than from AC and lower than from NC treatments, but during 2001, transpiration was similar on all three treatments. Slightly higher evaporation rates from AC than either EC or NC treatments in 2000 may have resulted from increased convection across the soil surface from the OTC blowers, combined with lower biomass and litter cover on the AC treatment. Transpiration-use efficiency, or the amount of above-ground biomass produced per mm water transpired, was always greatest on EC and lowest on NC treatments.     

毛乌素沙地油蒿-杨柴灌丛生态系统蒸散组分分配及其影响因子

蒸散发(ET)是生态系统水分循环和能量流动的重要组成部分,准确估算ET及其各组分,对认识生态生理过程对水分平衡和植物水分利用策略的影响具有重要意义。本研究于2019年5月20日至9月15日,利用涡度相关技术和微型蒸渗仪对毛乌素沙地油蒿-杨柴灌丛生态系统ET、蒸发(E)和蒸腾(T)进行测定和估算,量化了油蒿-杨柴灌丛生态系统ET组分,并分析ET及其组分的季节特征及影响因素。结果表明: T为毛乌素沙地油蒿-杨柴灌丛生态系统生长季ET的主要组分,T/ET为53.1%。T/ET值随降水减少而升高,E/ET值随降水减少而减少,蒸散组分分配主要受降水调控。在季节尺度上,E与10 cm深处土壤含水量(SWC₁₀)和太阳净辐射(R_n)呈显著正相关,其中,SWC₁₀是E的主要影响因素;T随R_n和叶面积指数(LAI)的升高而升高,随30 cm处土壤含水量(SWC₃₀)的升高呈先升高后降低的单峰趋势,受到SWC₃₀、R_n和LAI的共同影响;水分是ET的主要影响因素。生长季蒸散/降水量(ET/P)为109.2%,5月ET/P为250.5%,表明生长季初期ET耗水部分来自非生长季降水。     

Ecohydrology and the Partitioning AET Between Transpiration and Evaporation in a Semiarid Steppe

Water availability defines and is the most frequent control on processes in arid and semiarid ecosystems. Despite widespread recognition of the importance of water in dry areas, knowledge about key processes in the water balance is surprisingly limited. How water is partitioned between evaporation and transpiration is an area about which ecosystem ecologists have almost no information. We used a daily time step soil water model and 39 years of data to describe the ecohydrology of a shortgrass steppe and investigate how manipulation of soil and vegetation variables influenced the partitioning of water loss between evaporation and transpiration. Our results emphasize the overwhelming importance of two environmental factors in influencing water balance processes in the semiarid shortgrass steppe; high and relatively constant evaporative demand of the atmosphere and a low and highly variable precipitation regime. These factors explain the temporal dominance of dry soil. Annually and during the growing season 60–80% of the days have soil water potentials less than or equal to −1.5 MPa. In the 0–15 cm layer, evaporation accounts for half of total water loss and at 15–30 cm it accounts for one third of the loss. Annual transpiration/actual evapotranspiration (T/AET) ranged from 0.4–0.75 with a mean of 0.51. The key controls on both T/AET and evaporation/actual evapotranspiration in order of their importance were aboveground biomass, seasonality of biomass, soil texture, and precipitation. High amounts of biomass and late timing of the peak resulted in the highest values of T/AET.