Predicting water surface evaporation in the paddy field by solving energy balance equation beneath the rice canopy

Abstract

The energy flux on the ground surface depends not only on climatological and biophysical controls in the vegetative canopy, but also on the available energy and energy partitioning beneath the canopy. Quantifying the evaporation and energy partitioning beneath the canopy is very important for improving water and energy utilization, especially in arid areas. In this study, we measured meteorological data, the net radiation and latent heat flux beneath the rice canopy, and then applied the radiation and energy balance equations to get the water surface temperature beneath the rice canopy. To apply the equations, we constructed shortwave and longwave radiation beneath the canopy sub-models and a bulk transfer coefficient sub-model. A plant inclination factor was parameterized with plant area index for the shortwave and longwave radiation sub-models. Bulk transfer coefficient was parameterized by plant area index and soil heat flux was predicted by the force restore model. With calculated water surface temperature and constructed sub-models, we reproduced net radiation and latent heat flux beneath the rice canopy. As a result, the reproduced water surface temperature, net radiation, and latent heat flux beneath the rice canopy were very close to the measured values and no significant differences were found according to 2-tail t test statistical analysis. Therefore, we conclude that these constructed sub-models could successfully represent water surface temperature, net radiation, and latent heat flux beneath the rice canopy.