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United States Department of Agriculture
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Evaporation from a sphagnum moss surface
Author(s): D.S. Nichols; J.M. Brown
Date: 1980
Source: Journal of Hydrology. 48: 289-302.
Publication Series: Scientific Journal (JRNL)
Station: Northern Research Station
PDF: Download Publication (750.13 KB)Description
Peat cores, 45 cm in diameter, were collected from a sphagnum bog in northern Minnesota, and used to measure the effects of different temperatures and water levels on evaporation from a sphagnum moss surface in a growth chamber. Under all conditions, evaporation from the moss surface was greater than that from a free-water surface. Evaporation from the moss increased 92% as the temperature was raised from 9° to 25°C. The energy used in evaporation from the moss exceeded net radiation except at 9°C. Evaporation from the moss was less when the water level was at the surface of the peat than when it was lowered to 5, 10, or 15 cm below the surface. The presence of an overstory of grasses and sedges protected the moss from desiccation when the water level was 15 cm below the surface, but had no effect on total water vaporization at any water level. When the peat cores were maintained in the greenhouse for a year, changes in either the peat, the moss, or both occurred which resulted in significantly lower evaporation when measured in the growth chamber.Publication Notes
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Citation
Nichols, D.S.; Brown, J.M. 1980. Evaporation from a sphagnum moss surface. Journal of Hydrology. 48: 289-302.Related Search
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- Sphagnum mosses limit total carbon consumption during fire in Alaskan black spruce forests
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https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/12968