Patterns and drivers of evapotranspiration in South American wetlands

Abstract

Evapotranspiration (ET) is a key process linking surface and atmospheric energy budgets, yet its drivers and patterns across wetlandscapes are poorly understood worldwide. Here we assess the ET dynamics in 12 wetland complexes across South America, revealing major differences under temperate, tropical, and equatorial climates. While net radiation is a dominant driver of ET seasonality in most environments, flooding also contributes strongly to ET in tropical and equatorial wetlands, especially in meeting the evaporative demand. Moreover, significant water losses through wetlands and ET differences between wetlands and uplands occur in temperate, more water-limited environments and in highly flooded areas such as the Pantanal, where slow river flood propagation drives the ET dynamics. Finally, floodplain forests produce the greatest ET in all environments except the Amazon River floodplains, where upland forests sustain high rates year round. Our findings highlight the unique hydrological functioning and ecosystem services provided by wetlands on a continental scale.

Evaluation and Drivers of Four Evapotranspiration Products in the Yellow River Basin

“…2024, 16, 1829 2 of 16 and development. This interaction holds substantial significance for various applications, including agricultural production, precise drought monitoring, and strategic crop planning [6,7]. Consequently, the accurate quantification of actual evapotranspiration at the basin level becomes imperative for the efficient management, utilization, and strategic distribution of water resources within the watershed [8,9].…”