Portable Chamber Measurements of Evapotranspiration at the Amargosa Desert Research Site near Beatty, Nye County, Nevada, 2003-06

Garcia, C. Amanda; Johnson, Michael J.; Andraski, Brian J.; Halford, Keith J.; Mayers, C. Justin

Abstract:

Portable chamber measurements of evapotranspiration (ET) were made at the U.S. Geological Survey‘s Amargosa Desert Research Site in southern Nevada to help quantify component- and landscape-scale contributions to ET in an arid environment. Evapotranspiration data were collected approximately every 3 months from 2003 to 2006. Chamber measurements of ET were partitioned into bare-soil evaporation and mixed-species transpiration components. The component-scale ET fluxes from native shrubs typically surpassed those from bare soil by as much as a factor of four. Component-scale ET fluxes were extrapolated to landscape-scale ET using a one-layer, multi-component canopy model. Landscape-scale ET fluxes predominantly were controlled by bare-soil evaporation. Bare soil covered 94 percent of the landscape on average and contributed about 70 percent of the landscape-scale vapor flux. Creosote bush, an evergreen shrub, accounted for about 90 percent of transpiration on average due to its dominance across the landscape (80 percent of the 6 percent shrub cover) and evergreen character.

Genre:

USGS Numbered Series

ProdID:

86185

Citation Author:

Garcia, C. Amanda; Johnson, Michael J.; Andraski, Brian J.; Halford, Keith J.; Mayers, C. Justin

Citation Contributing Office:

USGS Nevada Water Science Center

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Citation Language:

ENGLISH

Citation Larger Work Title:

Citation LatN:

0371500

Citation LatS:

0360000

Citation LonE:

-1154500

Citation LonW:

-1171500

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Citation Phsyical Description:

iv, 11 p.

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Citation Publisher:

Geological Survey (U.S.)

Citation Series:

Scientific Investigations Report

Citation Series Code:

SIR

Citation Series Number:

2008-5135

Citation Search Results Text:

Portable Chamber Measurements of Evapotranspiration at the Amargosa Desert Research Site near Beatty, Nye County, Nevada, 2003-06; 2008; SIR; 2008-5135; Garcia, C. Amanda; Johnson, Michael J.; Andraski, Brian J.; Halford, Keith J.; Mayers, C. Justin