Understanding the Role of Evapotranspiration in Bioretention: Mesocosm Study

Wadzuk, Bridget; Hickman, John M.; Traver, Robert G.

doi:10.1061/jswbay.0000794

Cited by 61 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…However, 50‐year climate simulations using DRAINMOD also largely underestimate the evaporative fraction of long‐term water budgets (Wardynski, Hunt, & Brown, ; Figure , orange box, lower left). This pattern is corroborated by Hess, Wadzuk, and Welker () and Wadzuk et al (), who reported that using Penman–Monteith tends to underestimate ET while using Hargreaves tends to overestimate ET. The yellow circles in Figure represent two cells where ET was estimated using Penman–Monteith.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 57%

“…Therefore, internal water storage zones may also maintain system capacity for ET by limiting plant water stress and maintaining sufficient capillary conductance and connectivity to the soil surface. Wadzuk et al () demonstrate ET limitation by water availability using weighing lysimeters with and without an internal water storage zone. Lysimetry data from Hess () clearly implicate ET as an important loss pathway for bioretention (Figure , in green).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additional work is needed to more closely constrain annual ET estimates for swale systems before making long‐term performance projections under varying climate conditions. The most comprehensive work on ET in bioretention thus far has come from three weighing lysimeters with differing soil types (Hess, ; Hess et al, ; Hess, Wadzuk, & Welker, ; Hickman, ; Hickman, Wadzuk, & Traver, ; Wadzuk et al, ). Trials from Hess et al (, ) indicate that soil composition controls whether percolation or ET is a more important loss pathway over the long‐term (i.e., right to left I–ET axis on the triangle).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Hydrologic processes that govern stormwater infrastructure behaviour

Eger

Chandler

Driscoll

2017

Hydrological Processes

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Using water budget data from published literature, we demonstrate how hydrologic processes govern the function of various stormwater infrastructure technologies. Hydrologic observations are displayed on a Water Budget Triangle, a ternary plot tool developed to visualize simplified water budgets, enabling side‐by‐side comparison of green and grey approaches to stormwater management. The tool indicates ranges of hydrologic function for green roofs, constructed wetlands, cisterns, bioretention, and other stormwater control management structures. Water budgets are plotted for several example systems to provide insight on structural and environmental design factors, and seasonal variation in hydrologic processes of stormwater management systems. Previously published water budgets and models are used to suggest appropriate operational standards for several green and grey stormwater control structures and compare between conventional and low‐impact development approaches. We compare models, characterize and quantify water budgets and expected ranges for green and grey infrastructure systems, and demonstrate how the Water Budget Triangle tool may help users to develop a data‐driven approach for understanding design and retrofit of green stormwater infrastructure.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 57%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Hydrologic processes that govern stormwater infrastructure behaviour

Eger

Chandler

Driscoll

2017

Hydrological Processes

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“…When considering the difference in water availability between the two sites, these results are consistent with previous research where sap flow sensors were employed to characterize tree transpiration, along with other studies of ET in bioretention practices. Relating these observations to bioretention, results from Wadzuk et al (2015) indicated higher portions of the water balance of bioretention practices with IWS layers that maintained soil moisture could be attributed to ET. Berland et al (2017) suggest that sustaining high ET rates in green infrastructure practices requires adequate soil moisture levels to be maintained.…”

Section: Sap Flowmentioning

confidence: 83%

“…Li, Sharkey, Hunt, and Davis (2009) used a field-based water balance approach in a bioretention practice planted with unidentified trees and shrubs and lined with an impermeable membrane (to eliminate exfiltration) and found that losses due to ET accounted for 19% of run-off volume reduction. In a more controlled approach, Wadzuk, Hickman, and Traver (2015) used weighing lysimeters to compare ET in bioretention mesocosms planted with native grasses and found that 50% of direct rainfall was converted to ET in freely draining systems, whereas mesocosms with an internal water storage (IWS) layer converted 78% of direct rainfall to ET, though the authors indicate these figures represent a high estimate. In a more controlled approach, Wadzuk, Hickman, and Traver (2015) used weighing lysimeters to compare ET in bioretention mesocosms planted with native grasses and found that 50% of direct rainfall was converted to ET in freely draining systems, whereas mesocosms with an internal water storage (IWS) layer converted 78% of direct rainfall to ET, though the authors indicate these figures represent a high estimate.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating the influence of design strategies and meteorological factors on tree transpiration in bioretention suspended pavement practices

2018

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Impervious surfaces, such as roads, parking areas, and buildings, found in cities throughout the world have significant impacts on urban hydrology due to increased volumes and peak flow rates of run-off delivered to receiving waterbodies.Bioretention practices are a common stormwater control measure used to mitigate the impacts of urban run-off. When coupled with suspended pavement systems, which provide tree roots with an uncompacted soil matrix that enhances root access to oxygen and water, engineers can design subsurface alternatives to manage urban stormwater. Two suspended pavement systems designed to function as subsurface bioretention practices were installed on the campus of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. Sap flow sensors using the heat ratio method were installed in two bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) trees to characterize the role of transpiration in the suspended pavement systems. Mean transpiration rates were greater when water availability was higher in the bioretention media. Regression models indicated that atmospheric vapour pressure deficit (kPa) was the most influential environmental parameter on tree transpiration and that stomatal regulation of water losses was evident when water was limiting. Findings from this study illustrate how tree transpiration rates can vary, even between individual trees of the same species, on the basis of conditions within the practice, and provide insight to practitioners on how design parameters influence fine-scale tree-water relations in bioretention systems to maximize the contributions of transpiration on system hydrology.

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Evaluating hydrologic performance of bioretention cells in shallow groundwater

Zhang

Chui

2017

Hydrological Processes

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Bioretention cells, which are generally effective in controlling surface runoff and recharging groundwater, have been widely adopted as low impact development practices. However, shallow groundwater has limited their implementation in some locations due to the potential problems of a reduction in surface runoff control, groundwater pollution, and continuous groundwater drainage through the underdrain. Many guidelines have established minimum requirements for the groundwater depth below bioretention cells, but they may not be optimized for certain environmental conditions and bioretention cell designs. This study made use of a variably saturated flow model to examine the hydrologic performance of a single bioretention cell in shallow groundwater with event‐based simulations, considering a wide range of initial groundwater depths, media and in situ soil types, surface runoff loads, and underdrain sizes. Performance indicators (e.g., runoff reduction, time for infiltrated water to reach the bioretention cell bottom and the groundwater table, and height and dissipation time of groundwater mound) were evaluated to examine the processes of runoff generation, the formation and dissipation of groundwater mounds, and the bioretention cell's performance in a shallow groundwater environment. The most influential factors were the initial groundwater depth, the hydraulic conductivity of the media soil, and the rainfall runoff load. With a deeper initial groundwater table, infiltrated water took longer to reach the bioretention cell bottom and groundwater table. Groundwater mounds, however, took longer to dissipate even though they were smaller. The groundwater quality can be better protected if relatively less‐permeable soil types (e.g., sandy loam) are used as the media, although it may compromise the performance in runoff quantity control. However, only very high surface runoff loads would cause concerns regarding a reduction in runoff quantity control and possible groundwater contamination due to the shallow groundwater. A distance of 1.5–3 m between the bioretention cell bottom and the groundwater table is generally sufficient. The results of this study could help to guide the planning and design of bioretention cells in areas of shallow groundwater.

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Understanding the Role of Evapotranspiration in Bioretention: Mesocosm Study

Cited by 61 publications

References 26 publications

Hydrologic processes that govern stormwater infrastructure behaviour

Hydrologic processes that govern stormwater infrastructure behaviour

Evaluating the influence of design strategies and meteorological factors on tree transpiration in bioretention suspended pavement practices

Evaluating hydrologic performance of bioretention cells in shallow groundwater

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