On groundwater fluctuations, evapotranspiration, and understory removal in riparian corridors

Martinet, MC; Vivoni, ER; Cleverly, JR; Thibault, JR; Schuetz, JF; Dahm, CN

On groundwater fluctuations, evapotranspiration, and understory removal in riparian corridors

Martinet, MC Vivoni, ER Cleverly, JR

Thibault, JR Schuetz, JF Dahm, CN

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Water Resources Research, 2009, 45 (5)
Issue Date:: 2009-05-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Martinet, MC	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Vivoni, ER	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Cleverly, JR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2731-7150	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Thibault, JR	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Schuetz, JF	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Dahm, CN	en_US
dc.date.issued	2009-05-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Water Resources Research, 2009, 45 (5)	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0043-1397	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/9240
dc.description.abstract	This study utilizes 7 years of continuously monitored groundwater-level data from four sites along the Río Grande riparian corridor in central New Mexico to calculate evapotranspiration from groundwater and assess impacts of understory vegetation removal during a restoration project. Diurnal groundwater fluctuation measurements were used to compare the well-known White method for estimating evapotranspiration from groundwater (ETg) to colocated measurements of total riparian evapotranspiration (ET) measured using the eddy covariance method. On average, the two methods were linearly correlated and had similar variability, but groundwater hydrograph estimates of ET g tended to be larger than tower ET estimates. Average ETg estimates for two wells at one site ranged from 91.45% to 164.77% of measured tower ET estimates, but were also shown to range from 57.35% to 254.34% at another site. Comparisons between the methods improved with deeper water tables, reduced groundwater and river connectivity, and where soil profiles were dominated by coarse-sized particles. Using a range of texture-based estimates of specific yield (Sy) with water table position improves the field application of the White method. River-induced fluctuations in groundwater increased the variability of ETg measurements. Removal of understory vegetation at one site resulted in a small but significant reduction in diel groundwater fluctuation amplitude of 19-21%. Caution is required when understory vegetation removal is used as a means to decrease overall riparian ET. Diel groundwater fluctuation amplitudes can be useful in gauging the hydrological effects of vegetation removal. Riparian groundwater hydrographs are critical to investigating the hydrologic connectivity between river and shallow groundwater, the temporal patterns of vegetative consumption, and monitoring changes to the vegetation community. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Water Resources Research	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1029/2008WR007152	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Environmental Engineering	en_US
dc.title	On groundwater fluctuations, evapotranspiration, and understory removal in riparian corridors	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	5	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	45	en_US
utslib.for	0907 Environmental Engineering	en_US
utslib.for	0406 Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience	en_US
utslib.for	0905 Civil Engineering	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Life Sciences
utslib.copyright.status	open_access
pubs.issue	5	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	45	en_US

Abstract:

This study utilizes 7 years of continuously monitored groundwater-level data from four sites along the Río Grande riparian corridor in central New Mexico to calculate evapotranspiration from groundwater and assess impacts of understory vegetation removal during a restoration project. Diurnal groundwater fluctuation measurements were used to compare the well-known White method for estimating evapotranspiration from groundwater (ETg) to colocated measurements of total riparian evapotranspiration (ET) measured using the eddy covariance method. On average, the two methods were linearly correlated and had similar variability, but groundwater hydrograph estimates of ET g tended to be larger than tower ET estimates. Average ETg estimates for two wells at one site ranged from 91.45% to 164.77% of measured tower ET estimates, but were also shown to range from 57.35% to 254.34% at another site. Comparisons between the methods improved with deeper water tables, reduced groundwater and river connectivity, and where soil profiles were dominated by coarse-sized particles. Using a range of texture-based estimates of specific yield (Sy) with water table position improves the field application of the White method. River-induced fluctuations in groundwater increased the variability of ETg measurements. Removal of understory vegetation at one site resulted in a small but significant reduction in diel groundwater fluctuation amplitude of 19-21%. Caution is required when understory vegetation removal is used as a means to decrease overall riparian ET. Diel groundwater fluctuation amplitudes can be useful in gauging the hydrological effects of vegetation removal. Riparian groundwater hydrographs are critical to investigating the hydrologic connectivity between river and shallow groundwater, the temporal patterns of vegetative consumption, and monitoring changes to the vegetation community. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/9240