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Surface Area: EVAPOTRANSPIRATION Is The Sum of Evaporation and
Surface Area: EVAPOTRANSPIRATION Is The Sum of Evaporation and
plant transpiration from the Earth's land surface to on the surface keeping the molecules from launching
atmosphere. Also the important part in water cycle. themselves.
Surface area
A substance that has a larger surface area will
evaporate faster, as there are more surface molecules
that are able to escape.
Temperature of the substance
If the substance is hotter, then its molecules have a
higher average kinetic energy, and evaporation will be
faster.
Density
The higher the density the slower a liquid
evaporates.
Atmospheric factors affecting transpiration
Evapotranspirator – an element that contributes to
Temperature: Transpiration rates go up as the
evapotranspiration .
temperature goes up, especially during the
Evaporation accounts for the movement of water to the
growing season, when the air is warmer due to
air from sources such as the soil, canopy interception,
stronger sunlight and warmer air masses.
and water bodies, also a type of vaporization of a liquid
Higher temperatures cause the plant cells which
that occurs only on the surface of a liquid.
control the openings (stoma) where water is
Transpiration accounts for the movement of water
released to the atmosphere to open, whereas
within a plant and the subsequent loss of water as
colder temperatures cause the openings to
vapor through stomata in its leaves.
close.
Factors influencing the rate of evaporation
Relative humidity: As the relative humidity of
Concentration of the substance evaporating in
the air surrounding the plant rises the
the air
transpiration rate falls. It is easier for water to
If the air already has a high concentration of the
evaporate into dryer air than into more
substance evaporating, then the given substance will
saturated air.
evaporate more slowly.
Wind and air movement: Increased movement
Concentration of other substances in the air
of the air around a plant will result in a higher
If the air is already saturated with other substances, it
transpiration rate. This is somewhat related to
can have a lower capacity for the substance
the relative humidity of the air, in that as water
evaporating.
transpires from a leaf, the water saturates the
Flow rate of air
air surrounding the leaf. If there is no wind, the
If fresh air is moving over the substance all the time,
air around the leaf may not move very much,
then the concentration of the substance in the air is less
raising the humidity of the air around the leaf.
likely to go up with time, thus encouraging faster
Wind will move the air around, with the result
evaporation. This is the result of the boundary layer at
that the more saturated air close to the leaf is
the evaporation surface decreasing with flow velocity,
replaced by drier air.
decreasing the diffusion distance in the stagnant layer.
Inter-molecular forces Soil-moisture availability: When moisture is
The stronger the forces keeping the molecules together lacking, plants can begin to senesce (premature
in the liquid state, the more energy one must get to ageing, which can result in leaf loss) and
escape. This is characterized by the enthalpy of transpire less water.
vaporization.
Pressure
Type of plant: Plants transpire water at Evaporation rate is determined by a sequence of
different rates. Some plants which grow in arid measurements over a set time interval.
regions, such as cacti and succulents, conserve LYSIMETER
precious water by transpiring less water than is a measuring device
other plants. which can be used to
measure the amount
Potential evapotranspiration (PET) of actual
a representation of the environmental demand for evapotranspiration
evapotranspiration and represents the which is released by
evapotranspiration rate of a short green crop, plants, usually crops
completely shading the ground, of uniform height and or trees. By recording the amount of precipitation that
with adequate water status in the soil profile. A an area receives and the amount lost through the soil,
reflection of the energy available to evaporate water, the amount of water lost to evapotranspiration can be
and of the wind available to transport the water vapour calculated. Lysimeters are of two types: Weighing and
from the ground up into the lower atmosphere. non-weighing.
Pan evaporation is
Evapotranspiration can never be greater than PET, but a measurement
can be lower if there is not enough water to be that combines or
evaporated or plants are unable to transpire readily. integrates the
effects of several
Average annual PET is often compared to average
climate elements:
annual precipitation, P. The ratio of the two, P/PET, is
temperature,
the aridity index.
humidity, rain fall,
drought dispersion,
solar radiation, and wind. Evaporation is greatest on
hot, windy, dry, sunny days; and is greatly reduced
when clouds block the sun and when air is cool, calm,
and humid. Pan evaporation measurements enable
farmers and ranchers to understand how much water
their crops will need.
TYPES OF PRECIPITATION