Automated Soil Lysimeter for Determination of Actual Evapotranspiration of a Bog in Quebec, Canada
Publication: Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 19, Issue 1
Abstract
A limited number of publications in the literature address the measurement of actual evapotranspiration (AET) from peat soils. AET is an important parameter in the description of water pathways of an ecosystem. In peatlands, where the water table is near the surface, the measurement of AET represents a challenge. This paper discusses the development of an automated lysimeter installed between July 12 and 27, 2010, at an 11-ha bog site, Pont-Rouge (42 km west of Quebec City, Canada). This system was made of an isolated block of peat, maintained at the same water level as the surrounding water table by a system of submersible pressure transmitters and pumps. The change in water level in millimeters in the isolated block of peat was used to calculate the water lost through evapotranspiration while for accounting the precipitation. The rates of AET were calculated for each day of the study period. This relatively inexpensive and simple to install system may eventually be used to calculate AET on peaty soils in the years to come.
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Acknowledgments
This research was financially supported by the Collaborative Research and Development (CRD) program of the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada, Hydro-Québec, and Ouranos. We would also like to thank Serge Payette (Université Laval) principal investigator of the aforementioned CDR-NSERC grant (Ecohydrology of minerotrophic peatland of the La Grande River Watershed, Northern Quebec: water cycle, and monitoring). We are thankful to the reviewers who provided detailed comments and suggestions.
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Published In
Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 19 • Issue 1 • January 2014
Pages: 60 - 68
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 21, 2011
Accepted: Jul 5, 2012
Published online: Aug 6, 2012
Discussion open until: Jan 6, 2013
Published in print: Jan 1, 2014
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