Turbulence characteristics in a dense riparian Tamarisk canopy

Research in radiant energy partitioning into latent and sensible heat fluxes is continually being conducted over surfaces representing ever increasing complexity. A riparian zone along the Rio Grande river in central New Mexico dominated by a non-native phreatophyte Tamarisk is suspected of large depleting large quantities of water from the Rio Grande. Tamarisk vegetation is unique in that it is analogous to a cross between a densely uniform agricultural crop and a small forest (~ 6 m in height). A 12 m tower was erected in the middle of the riparian zone and instrumented with two fast response (20 Hz) eddy covariance systems, one above the canopy and the other near the ground floor. Turbulent characteristics of air flow are evaluated. Spectral characteristics of velocity, temperature and humidity components are computed and related to eddy length scales, downward entrainment of saturation deficit and latent and sensible heat flux exchange above and below the canopy.