Articles | Volume 28, issue 24
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-5511-2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-5511-2024
Research article
 | 
19 Dec 2024
Research article |  | 19 Dec 2024

The significance of the leaf area index for evapotranspiration estimation in SWAT-T for characteristic land cover types of West Africa

Fabian Merk, Timo Schaffhauser, Faizan Anwar, Ye Tuo, Jean-Martial Cohard, and Markus Disse

Related authors

Merits and Limits of SWAT-GL: Application in Contrasting Glaciated Catchments
Timo Schaffhauser, Florentin Hofmeister, Gabriele Chiogna, Fabian Merk, Ye Tuo, Julian Machnitzke, Lucas Alcamo, Jingshui Huang, and Markus Disse
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-89,https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-89, 2024
Preprint under review for HESS
Short summary

Related subject area

Subject: Catchment hydrology | Techniques and Approaches: Modelling approaches
Improved representation of soil moisture processes through incorporation of cosmic-ray neutron count measurements in a large-scale hydrologic model
Eshrat Fatima, Rohini Kumar, Sabine Attinger, Maren Kaluza, Oldrich Rakovec, Corinna Rebmann, Rafael Rosolem, Sascha E. Oswald, Luis Samaniego, Steffen Zacharias, and Martin Schrön
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 5419–5441, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-5419-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-5419-2024, 2024
Short summary
Spatio-temporal patterns and trends of streamflow in water-scarce Mediterranean basins
Laia Estrada, Xavier Garcia, Joan Saló-Grau, Rafael Marcé, Antoni Munné, and Vicenç Acuña
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 5353–5373, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-5353-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-5353-2024, 2024
Short summary
A large-sample modelling approach towards integrating streamflow and evaporation data for the Spanish catchments
Patricio Yeste, Matilde García-Valdecasas Ojeda, Sonia R. Gámiz-Fortis, Yolanda Castro-Díez, Axel Bronstert, and María Jesús Esteban-Parra
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 5331–5352, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-5331-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-5331-2024, 2024
Short summary
Seasonal variation in land cover estimates reveals sensitivities and opportunities for environmental models
Daniel T. Myers, David Jones, Diana Oviedo-Vargas, John Paul Schmit, Darren L. Ficklin, and Xuesong Zhang
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 5295–5310, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-5295-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-5295-2024, 2024
Short summary
Estimating response times, flow velocities, and roughness coefficients of Canadian Prairie basins
Kevin R. Shook, Paul H. Whitfield, Christopher Spence, and John W. Pomeroy
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 5173–5192, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-5173-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-5173-2024, 2024
Short summary

Cited articles

Abbas, S. A., Bailey, R. T., White, J. T., Arnold, J. G., White, M. J., Čerkasova, N., and Gao, J.: A framework for parameter estimation, sensitivity analysis, and uncertainty analysis for holistic hydrologic modeling using SWAT+, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 21–48, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-21-2024, 2024. a
Abitew, T. A., Arnold, J., Jeong, J., Jones, A., and Srinivasan, R.: Innovative approach to prognostic plant growth modeling in SWAT+ for forest and perennial vegetation in tropical and Sub-Tropical climates, J. Hydrol. X, 20, 100156, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydroa.2023.100156, 2023. a
Ago, E. E., Agbossou, E. K., Galle, S., Cohard, J.-M., Heinesch, B., and Aubinet, M.: Long term observations of carbon dioxide exchange over cultivated savanna under a Sudanian climate in Benin (West Africa), Agr. Forest Meteorol., 197, 13–25, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2014.06.005, 2014. a, b, c, d
Ago, E. E., Agbossou, E. K., Cohard, J.-M., Galle, S., and Aubinet, M.: Response of CO2 fluxes and productivity to water availability in two contrasting ecosystems in northern Benin (West Africa), Ann. For. Sci., 73, 483–500, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13595-016-0542-9, 2016. a, b, c
Akoko, G., Le, T. H., Gomi, T., and Kato, T.: A Review of SWAT Model Application in Africa, Water, 13, 1313, https://doi.org/10.3390/w13091313, 2021. a
Download
Short summary
Evapotranspiration (ET) is computed from the vegetation (plant transpiration) and soil (soil evaporation). In western Africa, plant transpiration correlates with vegetation growth. Vegetation is often represented using the leaf area index (LAI). In this study, we evaluate the importance of the LAI for ET calculation. We take a close look at this interaction and highlight its relevance. Our work contributes to the understanding of terrestrial water cycle processes .