Year	2020
Project Category	Research Projects
Project Title	Study on partitioning evaporation and transpiration in cloud forests in Taiwan: a case study of Japanese cedar forest in Xitou
Participator	Taro Nakai, ​Yen-Jen Lai
Job Title	Principal Investigator
Period	2020.08 ~ 2023.07
Unit	Ministry of Science and Technology Taiwan
Abstract	The forests in Taiwan situated in the mountain regions from 500 to 2,500 m asl are so-called the montane cloud forest ecosystem, frequently affected by fog. In such forests, wet canopy evaporation can account for a significant proportion of ecosystem evapotranspiration, which may reduce the relative importance of tree transpiration. Because tree transpiration is very closely related to soil water dynamics, a quantitative assessment of tree transpiration is essential to elucidate ecohydrological processes in such forests. At the same time, since the tree transpiration and the wet canopy evaporation are tightly interrelated, and the characteristics of wet canopy evaporation is still unknown, the quantitative evaluations of tree transpiration and wet canopy evaporation are both necessary. The goals of this study are (1) to elucidate the characteristics and mechanism of ecohydrological processes of the Japanese cedar forest in Xitou, Taiwan, focusing on the relative importance of tree transpiration and wet canopy evaporation, and (2) to develop the terrestrial ecosystem dynamics model reflecting the obtained findings so as to reproduce the ecohydrological processes and dynamics of this forest. To accomplish these goals, the following researches will be conducted. [1st year / 3 years] the measurement system of water vapor fluxes above the canopy and forest floor by eddy covariance technique using enclosed infrared gas analyzers will be established, together with the sap flow measurement systems. [2nd year / 3years] the obtained data will be analyzed, and tree transpiration and wet canopy evaporation will be quantified, and their characteristics and temporal variability will be clarified. [3rd year / 3 years] a terrestrial ecosystem dynamics model will be developed, and the ecohydrological processes and forest dynamics will be simulated.
Language	English