Influence of Soil Moisture on the Surface Energy Balance in Semiarid Environments

摘要

The objective of this research was to test the following hypothesis regarding thenature of the soil moisture-rainfall feedback in semiarid regions. There is a dramatic land surface response to precipitation events and the associated rise in soil moisture, but this response is limited in duration. In addition, plant type does not influence the nature of this response. We tested this hypothesis by measuring the surface water and energy balances at three locations across the shrub-ecotone in the Sevilleta Wildlife Refuge. Measurements spanned the entire 2000 monsoon season.