Radiation Balance and Partitioning of Latent and Sensible Heat Fluxes Over a Lime Orchard in Eastern Amazon

Abstract

Abstract We investigate the balance of radiation and energy over a lime orchard in Eastern Amazon and how it relates to environmental conditions. We found that lime trees aged between 6 and 7 years old reflect 11.0% to 14.5% of incoming shortwave radiation, and the latent heat flux corresponds to 57.6% and 66.6% of the daily net radiation in the dry season (August - November) of 2020, and 2021, respectively. The soil heat flux represents 1% to 2% of the daily net radiation. Evapotranspiration was much lower than the reference evapotranspiration from August to November in 2019 and 2020. Evapotranspiration increased proportionally to the reference evapotranspiration from August to November 2021. This increase may be explained by weather conditions, such as the frequent rainfall during the dry season of 2021, in the same period when the energy for evapotranspiration is higher. Also, the high relative humidity between August and November 2021 may have favored the opening of stomata, increasing the orchard's evapotranspiration. The crop coefficient ranges between 0.74 and 0.84.