View article

As the eddy-covariance technique enables intensive measurements of evapotranspiration (ET) at the ecosystem level, the interest in further partitioning ET into two main process-based components transpiration (T) and surface evaporation (E) □ is increasing. Although models for partitioning tower-measured ET have been developed, their reliability for different types of ecosystems still requires extensive validations. From 2001 to 2019, we measured CO₂ and H₂O vapor fluxes over an oak-grass savanna landscape from three eddy-covariance towers (i.e., one over an oak woodland; the other two over annual grasslands under tree canopy and in open area). Annual ET (± standard deviation) from the oak woodland, understory grassland, and open grassland was 419±85 mm, 167±36 mm, 324±43 mm, respectively. The differences between the above- and below-canopy ET indicated that oak canopy transpiration (T …