Multiple Methods of Estimating Ecosystem Water Use Evaluated in the Field at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Summary

Evapotranspiration (ET) in terrestrial ecosystems is a critical component of the climate system, and better understanding of controls on, and magnitudes of, ET is needed to improve climate models. A multi-year, multi-method study of ET was conducted in an uneven-aged mixed-species deciduous forest at the DOE National Environmental Research Park at Oak Ridge, TN, by Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientist Dr. Paul Hanson and several of his colleagues. The study will lead to improved understanding of water use by forests, and as a result, improved understanding of Earth’s climate systems. Key results of this BER-funded study were published recently in Agricultural and Forest Meteorology.