{"id":{"repo_id":"ohiolink","oai_identifier":"oai:etd.ohiolink.edu:osu1364572098"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/ohiolink/oai:etd.ohiolink.edu:osu1364572098","repository":{"repo_id":"ohiolink","name":"OhioLINK","base_url":"https://etd.ohiolink.edu/acprod/odb_etd/ws/oai/oai"},"display":{"title":"Quantifying the Sensitivity of Land-Surface Models to Hydrodynamic Stress Limitations on Transpiration","abstract":"Evapotranspiration is a major forcing function of Earth's climate, providing the link for the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. Stomata conductance, which governs transpiration, also provides the link between latent heat flux and carbon uptake rates. Current land-surface models couple stomata conductance and soil moisture through empirical relationships. This approach does not take advantage of recent advances in our understanding of water flow and storage in trees or of tree and canopy structure. The lack of mechanistic representation of the tree-hydrodynamic process should therefore lead to typical intra-daily patterns of error in results of current models.We use a comparison between observational data and model outputs to characterize the patterns of intra-daily error in simulated water flux. Through the use of the North American Carbon Program (NACP) dataset, more than 10 years of water flux data for 25 Fluxnet sites has been analyzed. The diurnal pattern of latent heat flux error from each of the 10 land-surface models represented in this study allows for categorization and evaluation based on models’ ability to predict the fast temporal dynamics of transpiration in different ecosystems and atmospheric forcing. Distinct error patterns occur when soil moisture is non-limiting, when the soil is near the wilting point, when VPD is not limiting, and when VPD is high. Although model error patterns are site specific, there are models that are more likely to favor one pattern above the other based on the stomata conductance scheme used and its sensitivity to VPD and soil moisture. We contrast these error patterns with sap flux, soil moisture, and leaf water potential measurements conducted in a Northern forest at the University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) in Pellston, MI, one of the Fluxnet sites included in the NACP analysis. The co-analysis of the physical process of water transport in the UMBS forest with the errors in model simulated latent heat flux reveals that model error is largest and most variable when moisture conditions are moderate to limiting and vegetative dynamics dominate. We find that models do best when moisture conditions are non-limiting, but have trouble resolving the fast dynamics of transpiration.","abstract_html":"Evapotranspiration is a major forcing function of Earth's climate, providing the link for the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. Stomata conductance, which governs transpiration, also provides the link between latent heat flux and carbon uptake rates. Current land-surface models couple stomata conductance and soil moisture through empirical relationships. This approach does not take advantage of recent advances in our understanding of water flow and storage in trees or of tree and canopy structure. The lack of mechanistic representation of the tree-hydrodynamic process should therefore lead to typical intra-daily patterns of error in results of current models.We use a comparison between observational data and model outputs to characterize the patterns of intra-daily error in simulated water flux. Through the use of the North American Carbon Program (NACP) dataset, more than 10 years of water flux data for 25 Fluxnet sites has been analyzed. The diurnal pattern of latent heat flux error from each of the 10 land-surface models represented in this study allows for categorization and evaluation based on models’ ability to predict the fast temporal dynamics of transpiration in different ecosystems and atmospheric forcing. Distinct error patterns occur when soil moisture is non-limiting, when the soil is near the wilting point, when VPD is not limiting, and when VPD is high. Although model error patterns are site specific, there are models that are more likely to favor one pattern above the other based on the stomata conductance scheme used and its sensitivity to VPD and soil moisture. We contrast these error patterns with sap flux, soil moisture, and leaf water potential measurements conducted in a Northern forest at the University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) in Pellston, MI, one of the Fluxnet sites included in the NACP analysis. The co-analysis of the physical process of water transport in the UMBS forest with the errors in model simulated latent heat flux reveals that model error is largest and most variable when moisture conditions are moderate to limiting and vegetative dynamics dominate. We find that models do best when moisture conditions are non-limiting, but have trouble resolving the fast dynamics of transpiration.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Matheny, Ashley Michelle"],"institution":"The Ohio State University","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Civil Engineering","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Bohrer, Gil"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-07-05","date_published":"2013-07-05","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:37:16Z","subjects":["Civil Engineering","Environmental Engineering","Environmental Science","Transpiration","Land Surface Modeling","Sap Flux","UMBS","Hydrodynamic Stress"],"languages":["English"],"rights":["unrestricted","This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1364572098","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Bohrer, Gil"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Matheny, Ashley Michelle"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2013-07-05"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["The Ohio State University / OhioLINK"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Electronic Thesis or Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Civil Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["The Ohio State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Civil Engineering","Environmental Engineering","Environmental Science","Transpiration","Land Surface Modeling","Sap Flux","UMBS","Hydrodynamic Stress"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["unrestricted","This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1364572098"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Evapotranspiration is a major forcing function of Earth's climate, providing the link for the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. Stomata conductance, which governs transpiration, also provides the link between latent heat flux and carbon uptake rates. Current land-surface models couple stomata conductance and soil moisture through empirical relationships. This approach does not take advantage of recent advances in our understanding of water flow and storage in trees or of tree and canopy structure. The lack of mechanistic representation of the tree-hydrodynamic process should therefore lead to typical intra-daily patterns of error in results of current models.We use a comparison between observational data and model outputs to characterize the patterns of intra-daily error in simulated water flux. Through the use of the North American Carbon Program (NACP) dataset, more than 10 years of water flux data for 25 Fluxnet sites has been analyzed. The diurnal pattern of latent heat flux error from each of the 10 land-surface models represented in this study allows for categorization and evaluation based on models’ ability to predict the fast temporal dynamics of transpiration in different ecosystems and atmospheric forcing. Distinct error patterns occur when soil moisture is non-limiting, when the soil is near the wilting point, when VPD is not limiting, and when VPD is high. Although model error patterns are site specific, there are models that are more likely to favor one pattern above the other based on the stomata conductance scheme used and its sensitivity to VPD and soil moisture. We contrast these error patterns with sap flux, soil moisture, and leaf water potential measurements conducted in a Northern forest at the University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) in Pellston, MI, one of the Fluxnet sites included in the NACP analysis. The co-analysis of the physical process of water transport in the UMBS forest with the errors in model simulated latent heat flux reveals that model error is largest and most variable when moisture conditions are moderate to limiting and vegetative dynamics dominate. We find that models do best when moisture conditions are non-limiting, but have trouble resolving the fast dynamics of transpiration."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf","p.89","1.84 MB"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Quantifying the Sensitivity of Land-Surface Models to Hydrodynamic Stress Limitations on Transpiration"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Bohrer, Gil"],"dc:creator":["Matheny, Ashley Michelle"],"dc:date":["2013-07-05"],"dc:description":["Evapotranspiration is a major forcing function of Earth's climate, providing the link for the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. Stomata conductance, which governs transpiration, also provides the link between latent heat flux and carbon uptake rates. Current land-surface models couple stomata conductance and soil moisture through empirical relationships. This approach does not take advantage of recent advances in our understanding of water flow and storage in trees or of tree and canopy structure. The lack of mechanistic representation of the tree-hydrodynamic process should therefore lead to typical intra-daily patterns of error in results of current models.We use a comparison between observational data and model outputs to characterize the patterns of intra-daily error in simulated water flux. Through the use of the North American Carbon Program (NACP) dataset, more than 10 years of water flux data for 25 Fluxnet sites has been analyzed. The diurnal pattern of latent heat flux error from each of the 10 land-surface models represented in this study allows for categorization and evaluation based on models’ ability to predict the fast temporal dynamics of transpiration in different ecosystems and atmospheric forcing. Distinct error patterns occur when soil moisture is non-limiting, when the soil is near the wilting point, when VPD is not limiting, and when VPD is high. Although model error patterns are site specific, there are models that are more likely to favor one pattern above the other based on the stomata conductance scheme used and its sensitivity to VPD and soil moisture. We contrast these error patterns with sap flux, soil moisture, and leaf water potential measurements conducted in a Northern forest at the University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) in Pellston, MI, one of the Fluxnet sites included in the NACP analysis. The co-analysis of the physical process of water transport in the UMBS forest with the errors in model simulated latent heat flux reveals that model error is largest and most variable when moisture conditions are moderate to limiting and vegetative dynamics dominate. We find that models do best when moisture conditions are non-limiting, but have trouble resolving the fast dynamics of transpiration."],"dc:format":["application/pdf","p.89","1.84 MB"],"dc:identifier":["http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1364572098"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:publisher":["The Ohio State University / OhioLINK"],"dc:rights":["unrestricted","This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws."],"dc:subject":["Civil Engineering","Environmental Engineering","Environmental Science","Transpiration","Land Surface Modeling","Sap Flux","UMBS","Hydrodynamic Stress"],"dc:title":["Quantifying the Sensitivity of Land-Surface Models to Hydrodynamic Stress Limitations on Transpiration"],"dc:type":["Electronic Thesis or Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Civil Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["The Ohio State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:37:16Z"}