Abstract
Abstract. In the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on earth, fog deposition plays an important role for the water balance and for the survival of vulnerable ecosystems. The eddy covariance method, previously applied for the quantification of fog deposition to forests in various parts of the world, was used for the first time to measure deposition of fog water to a desert. In this exploratory study we estimate the amount of water available for the ecosystem by deposition and determine the relevant processes driving fog deposition. This is especially important for the species Tillandsia landbecki living in coastal Atacama at the limit of plant existence with fog and dew being the only sources of water. Between 31 July and 19 August 2008 approximately 2.5 L m−2 of water were made available through deposition. Whole-year deposition was estimated as 25 L m−2. Turbulent upward fluxes occurred several times during the evenings and are explained by the formation of radiation fog. In connection with that, underestimates of the deposition are assumed. More detailed studies covering various seasons and all parameters and fluxes contributing to the local energy balance are suggested. This will help to further develop understanding about the processes of (i) deposition of water to the desert, and (ii) intensification of advection fog through additional formation of radiation fog.
Highlights
The western regions of the South American continent comprise some of the driest regions of the world
We focus on the arid region of the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile (20◦ S) at Cerro Guanaco, at the coast of the Pacific Ocean
It is assumed that the usable times when fog originated from the ocean are much more important for Tillandsia landbecki than the times when fog originated over land
Summary
The western regions of the South American continent comprise some of the driest regions of the world. It has successfully been applied to fog deposition measurements in North America (Vong and Kowalski, 1995; Kowalski and Vong, 1999), in the Carribean (Eugster et al, 2006; Holwerda et al, 2006), Europe (Beswick et al, 1991; Gallagher et al, 1992; Vermeulen et al, 1997; Thalmann et al, 2002; Burkard et al, 2003; Klemm et al, 2005; Klemm and Wrzesinsky, 2007), and East Asia (Beiderwieden et al, 2007, 2008) All these measurements were carried out over a well-developed plant canopy, whereas the present study is the first one that was done in a desert ecosystem
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
