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PE EIE[R-Rg RESEARCH ON - HJ Andrews Experimental Forest

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may bias the results . Meteorological method s<br />

must be tested in the areas of anticipated us e<br />

(Slatyer and Mcllroy 1961) . Such testing has<br />

not been accomplished in forested areas .<br />

Thus, weighing lysimetry appears to be th e<br />

only method capable of yielding the neede d<br />

short period accurate rates .<br />

Weighing lysimeters have been used to determine<br />

evapotranspiration of agriculture<br />

crops (McIlroy and Angus 1963, Pruitt and<br />

Angus 1960, Harrold and Dreibelbis 1951, Va n<br />

Bavel and Meyers 1962), but they haven't<br />

been used for natural vegetation, such a s<br />

brush and trees, which have extensive root<br />

systems .<br />

The use of weighing lysimeters to deter -<br />

mine evapotranspiration of trees is feasibl e<br />

only if the trees are uniformly spaced such as<br />

in a plantation . Installation is easier when the<br />

root system is naturally restricted, thereby<br />

reducing the size of the lysimeter and it s<br />

deadweight. Under these conditions, it would<br />

be possible to obtain accurate short period<br />

evapotranspiration rates, thus enabling a<br />

mechanistic examination of evapotranspiration<br />

in relation to the determining meteorological<br />

and soil moisture conditions .<br />

Establishment of evapotranspiration from a<br />

single tree or group of trees in a specific location<br />

is important but does not yield answer s<br />

for other types of vegetation in different<br />

climatic zones . Installation of lysimeters in<br />

many locations is not possible and may not be<br />

feasible because of the cost . However, meteorological<br />

methods if tested can be employed to<br />

establish evapotranspiration rates wher e<br />

lysimeters are not feasible. Results fro m<br />

meteorological methods can be tested against<br />

the results from a properly installed weighing<br />

lysimeter. This has been accomplished for<br />

agriculture crops (Tanner 1967, Pruitt 1963 ,<br />

Fritschen and Van Bavel 1963, Fritsche n<br />

1965) . However, differences in scale factor s<br />

such as canopy height, density, and roughnes s<br />

demand additional testing before these<br />

methods can be used over natural vegetation .<br />

The purpose of this paper is to discuss th e<br />

establishment of the weighing lysimeter in a<br />

Douglas-fir forest for the primary purpose of<br />

studying the complex relation between evapotranspiration<br />

rates and the determining<br />

meteorological and soil moisture conditions .<br />

In later stages the installation will be used t o<br />

evaluate meteorological methods for determining<br />

evapotranspiration to be used i n<br />

other areas .<br />

The Site<br />

The lysimeter installation is located on the<br />

Cedar River Watershed near Seattle, Washing -<br />

ton. The soil is a Barneston, gravelly, loamy<br />

sand originating from glacial outwash laid<br />

down at the end of the Vashon glacial period<br />

(Poulson and Miller 1952) and generally restricts<br />

the root system above the 3-foot depth<br />

(Gessel and Cole 1965) . The lateral extent of<br />

the root system is largely restricted to th e<br />

basic spacing of the trees . The area is relatively<br />

level and has a uniform canopy density<br />

making it desirable for micrometeorological<br />

investigations .<br />

The trees are 35-year-old Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga<br />

menziesii) which regenerated naturally<br />

after logging. The average tree spacing i s<br />

5.8 m, resulting in 231 trees per 4,041 m 2<br />

consisting mostly of Douglas-fir with a fe w<br />

hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) and maple .<br />

Trees in the 5 to 30 cm d.b.h. classes occur<br />

with the greatest frequency . Ground vegetation<br />

consists of bracken fern (Pteridiu m<br />

aquilinum), salal (Gaultheria shallon), red<br />

huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium), an d<br />

mosses, mainly (Eurhynchium oregonum) .<br />

The Lysimeter<br />

The lysimeter was constructed around th e<br />

root ball of a 35-year-old, 28 m tall an d<br />

38 cm diameter Douglas-fir tree . The lysimeter<br />

consists of two right cylinder containers,<br />

one located within the other . The inner -<br />

most container in which the tree is located i s<br />

366 cm in diameter and 122 cm deep, havin g<br />

a surface area of 10 .5 m 2 (fig. 1). The container<br />

at "field capacity " with tree and soi l<br />

weighs 28,900 kg (fig . 2) .<br />

The inner container is resting on a hydraulic<br />

transducer located on the bottom of th e<br />

outer container. The hydraulic transduce r<br />

consists of eleven 15 m lengths of 6 .35 c m<br />

256

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