Simple Models Outperform More Complex Big-Leaf Models of Daily Transpiration in Forested Biomes
Bright, Ryan M. (Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research)
Miralles, Diego G. (Ghent University. Department of the Environment)
Poyatos, Rafael (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Eisner, Stephanie (Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research)

Date:	2022
Abstract:	Transpiration makes up the bulk of total evaporation in forested environments yet remains challenging to predict at landscape-to-global scales. We harnessed independent estimates of daily transpiration derived from co-located sap flow and eddy-covariance measurement systems and applied the triple collocation technique to evaluate predictions from big leaf models requiring no calibration. In total, four models in 608 unique configurations were evaluated at 21 forested sites spanning a wide diversity of biophysical attributes and environmental backgrounds. We found that simpler models that neither explicitly represented aerodynamic forcing nor canopy conductance achieved higher accuracy and signal-to-noise levels when optimally configured (rRMSE = 20%; R 2 = 0. 89). Irrespective of model type, optimal configurations were those making use of key plant functional type dependent parameters, daily LAI, and constraints based on atmospheric moisture demand over soil moisture supply. Our findings have implications for more informed water resource management based on hydrological modeling and remote sensing.
Grants:	European Commission 715254 Agencia Estatal de Investigación RTI2018-095297-J-100
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Triple collocation ; Model evaluation ; Antecedent precipitation index ; Canopy conductance ; Sapfluxnet ; Fluxnet
Published in:	Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 49, Issue 18 (September 2022) , art. e2022GL100100, ISSN 1944-8007

DOI: 10.1029/2022GL100100
PMID: 36583013

13 p, 1.2 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > CREAF (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles