Abstract
The Upper Rhine valley (SW Germany) belongs to one of the agriculturally most intense used regions in Germany. Climatic favourable conditions with mild winters, early springs and warm autumns lead to long vegetation periods and high agricultural productivity. One limiting factor is the water supply because of a negative annual climatic water balance, which has been increasing by −10 mm per decade in the last 50 years to −150 mm at present. Thus irrigation measures become more and more important for agricultural production in this region. Aim of this study was to measure and simulate water and energy fluxes on farm level in respect to the effects of irrigation measures in a region where farm sizes are small and diversity of land use high. In future these results will be used to conduct studies of energy and water fluxes on spatial scale (e.g. water catchments). The dynamics of the water and energy balance was observed with micrometeorological measurements using the eddy covariance methodology. Our investigation area had a size of about 6.5 ha and was cultivated with spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Continuous measurements of all components of the water and energy balance as well as the vegetation specific-parameters, such as LAI, crop height and phenological macrostages, were conducted during the growing season which lasted from the beginning of April to 16 July 2014 (95 days). Additional irrigation was applied three times in this period by using a mobile sprinkler irrigation system. The observed dynamics were simulated with the physically based hydrological model TRAIN, which uses the Penman–Monteith approach for evapotranspiration simulation. Model efficiency was evaluated with Nash–Sutcliffe coefficient (NS). The TRAIN model was performing the simulations well with an r 2 = 0.72 with an slope of 1 and a NS = 0.77.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alavi N, Warland JS, Berg AA (2006) Filling gaps in evapotranspiration measurements for water budget studies: evaluation of a Kalman filtering approach. Agric For Meteorol 141:57–66. doi:10.1016/j.agrformet.2006.09.011
Ammann C, Flechard CR, Leifeld J, Neftel A, Fuhrer J (2007) The carbon budget of newly established temperate grassland depends on management intensity. Greenh Gas Balance Grassl Eur 121:5–20. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2006.12.002
Arbeitskreis Kliwa (2012) Die Entwicklung von trockenen Großwetterlagen mit Auswirkungen auf den süddeutschen Raum. In: Caspary HJ (ed) Kliwa Berichte (16):1–156
Aubinet M, Grelle A, Ibron A, Rannik U, Moncrieff U, Foken T, Kowalski AS, Martin P, Berbinger P, Benrhofer C, Clement R, Elbers J, Graner A, Grunwald T, Morgenstern K, Pilegaard K, Rebmann C, Snijders W, Valentini R, Vesala T (1999) Estimates of the annual net carbon and water exchange of forests: the EUROFLUX methodology. In: Fitter A, Raffaeli DG (eds). Adv Ecol Res (30):113–175
Bergström S (1995) The HBV model. In: Singh VP (ed) Computer models of watershed hydrology. Water Resources Publications, Highlands Ranch, pp 443–476
Falge E, Baldocchi D, Olson R, Anthoni P, Aubinet M, Bernhofer C, Burba G, Cleulemans R, Clement R, Dolmann R, Grainer A, Gross Grunwald P, Hollinger D, Jensen NO, Katul G, Keronen P, Kowalski P, Lai CT, Law BE, Meyers T, Moncrieff H, Moors E, Munger JW, Pilegaard K, Rannik K, Rebmann K, Suyker A, Tenhunen A, Tu K, Verma S, Vesla T, Wilson K, Wofsy S (2001) Gap filling strategies for defensible annual sums of net ecosystem exchange. Agric For Meteorol 107:43–69. doi:10.1016/S0168-1923(00)00225-2
Foken T (2008) The energy balance closure problem—an overview. Ecol Appl 18:1351–1368
Foken T, Wichura B (1996) Tools for quality assessment of surface-based flux measurements. Agric For Meteorol 78:83–105. doi:10.1016/0168-1923(95)02248-1
Foken T, Gockede M, Mauder M, Mahrt L, Amiro BD, Munger JW (2004) Post-field quality control. In: Lee X, Massman W, Law B (eds) Handbook of micrometeorology: a guide for surface flux measurements. Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht, pp 81–108
Foken T, Mauder M, Liebethal C, Wimmer F, Beyerich F, Leps JP, Raasch S, Debruin HAR, Meijninger ML, Bange J (2010) Energy balance closure for the LITFASS-2003 experiment. Theor Appl Climatol. doi:10.1007/s00704-009-0216-8
Foken T, Leuning R, Oncley SR, Mauder M, Aubinet M (2012) Corrections and data quality control. In: Aaubinet M, Vesala M, Papale D (eds) Eddy covariance. Springer, Netherlands, pp 85–131. doi:10.1007/978-94-007-2351-1_4 (Springer Atmospheric Sciences)
Ibrom A, Dellwik E, Flybjerk H, Jensen NO, Pilegaard K (2007) Strong low-pass filtering effects on water vapor flux measurements with closed-path eddy correlation systems. Agric For Meteorol 147:140–156
Ingwersen J, Steffens K, Högy P, Warrach-Sagi K, Zhunusbayeva D, Poltoradnev M, Gäbler R, Wizemann HD, Fangmeier A, Wulfmeyer V, Streck T (2011) Comparison of Noah simulations with eddy covariance and soil water measurements at a winter wheat stand. Agric For Meteorol 151:345–355
Kaimal JC, Finnigan JJ (1994) Atmospheric boundary layer flows: their structure and management. Oxford University Press, New York
Kljun N, Calanca P, Rotach MW, Schmid HP (2004) A simple parameterisation for flux footprint predictions. Bound Layer Meteorol 112:503–523. doi:10.1023/B:BOUN.0000030653.71031.96
Kormann R, Meixner FX (2001) An analytical footprint model for non-neutral stratification. Bound Layer Meteorol 99:207–224. doi:10.1023/A:1018991015119
Landesanstalt für Entwicklung der Landwirtschaft und der ländlichen Räume (LEL) (2012) Agrarstruktur in Baden-Württemberg. www.agrarstruktur.landwirtschaft-bw.de. Accessed 14 Jan 2015
Lausch A, Pause M, Schmidt A, Salbach CH, Gwillym-Margianto S, Merbach I (2013) Temporal hyperspectral monitoring of chlorophyll, LAI, and water content of barley during a growing season. Can J Remote Sens 39:191–207. doi:10.5589/m13-028
Liebethal C, Foken T (2007) Evaluation of six parameterization approaches for the ground heat flux. Theor Appl Climatol 88:43–56. doi:10.1007/s00704-005-0234-0
Liedtke H, Marcinek J (eds) (2002) Physische geographie deutschlands. Klett-Perthes, Gotha
Martens SN, Ustin SL, Rousseau RA (1993) Estimation of tree canopy leaf area index by gap fraction analysis. For Ecol Manage 61:91–108. doi:10.1016/0378-1127(93)90192-P
Mauder M, Foken T (2006) Impact of post-field data processing on eddy covariance flux estimates and energy balance closure. Meteorol Z 15:597–609. doi:10.1127/0941-2948/2006/0167
Mauder M, Cuntz M, Drüe C, Graf A, Rebmann C, Schmid HP, Schmidt M, Steinberecher R (2013) A strategy for quality and uncertainty assessment of long-term eddy-covariance measurements. Agric For Meteorol 169:122–135. doi:10.1016/j.agrformet.2012.09.006
Mcmillen RT (1988) An eddy correlation technique with extended applicability to non-simple Terrain. Bound Layer Meteorol 43:231–245
Meier U (2001) Growth stages of mono-and dicotyledonous plants: BBCH-Monograph. Blackwell, Berlin
Menzel L (1996) Modelling canopy resistances and transpiration of grassland. Phys Chem Earth 21–3:123–129
Menzel L (1997) Modellierung der Evapotranspiration im System Boden-Pflanze-Atmosphäre (simulation of evapotranspiration at the soil-vegetation-atmosphere interface; in German). Zürcher Geographische Schriften No 67. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zürich
Menzel L, Koch J, Onigkeit J, Schaldach R (2009) Modelling the effects of land-use and land-cover change on water availability in the Jordan River region. Adv Geosci 21:73–80
Meynen E, Schmithüsen J (1962) Handbuch der naturräumlichen Gliederung Deutschlands. Bundesanstalt für Landeskunde und Raumforschung, Bad Godesberg
Moncrieff JB, Clement R, Finnigan J, Meyers T (2004) Averaging, detrending and filtering of eddy covariance time series. In: Lee X, Massman W, Law B (eds) Handbook of micrometeorology: a guide for surface flux measurements. Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht, pp 7–31
Nash JE, Sutclieffe JV (1970) River flow forecasting through conceptual models part I—a discussion of principles. J Hydrol 10:282–290. doi:10.1016/0022-1694(70)90255-6
Reichstein M, Falge E, Baldocchi D, Papapel D, Aaubinet M, Berbinger P, Bernhofer C, Buchmann N, Gilmanov T, Granier A, Grünwald T, Havrankova K, Ilvesniemi H, Janous D, Knohl A, Laurila T, Lohila A, Loustau D, Matteucci G, Meyers T, Miglietta F, Ourcival JM, Pumpanen J, Rambal J, Rotenberg E, Sanz M, Tenhunen J, Seufert G, Vaccari G, Vesla T, Yakir D, Valentini R (2005) On the separation of net ecosystem exchange into assimilation and ecosystem respiration: review and improved algorithm. Glob Change Biol 11:1424–1439. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2486.2005.001002.x
Schmidt M, Reichenau TG, Fiener P, Schneider P (2012) The carbon budget of a winter wheat field: an eddy covariance analysis of seasonal and inter-annual variability. Agric For Meteorol 165:114–126. doi:10.1016/j.agrformet.2012.05.012
Soon YK (1988) Root distribution of and water uptake by field-grown barley in a black solod. Can J Soil Sci 68:425–432. doi:10.4141/cjss88-039
Törnros T, Menzel L (2014a) Leaf area index as a function of precipitation within a hydrological model. Hydrol Res 45:660–672. doi:10.2166/nh.2013.143
Törnros T, Menzel L (2014b) Addressing drought conditions under current and future climates in the Jordan River region. Hydrol Earth Syst Sci (HESS) 18:305–318. doi:10.5194/hess-18-305-2014
Twine TE, Kustas WP, Norman JM, Cook DR, Houser DR, Meyers TP, Prueger TP, Starks PJ, Wesely ML (2000) Correcting eddy-covariance flux underestimates over a grassland. Agric For Meteorol 103:279–300. doi:10.1016/S0168-1923(00)00123-4
Webb EK, Pearman GI, Leuning R (1980) Correction of flux measurements for density effects due to heat and water vapor transfer. Quart J R Meteorol Soc 106:85–100
Wimmer F, Schlaffer S, aus der Beek T, Menzel L (2009) Distributed modelling of climate change impacts on snow sublimation in northern Mongolia. Adv Geosci 21:117–124
Acknowledgments
We thank the farmer Mr. Welk for his comprehensive support and his circumspection with the monitoring system. Further we gratefully acknowledge the support from the Federal Department for Environment, Water Management and Trade Control of Rhineland Palatinate (LUWG) with equipment and data as part of the project.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
This article is part of a Topical Collection in Environmental Earth Sciences on “Water in Germany”, guest edited by Daniel Karthe, Peter Chifflard, Bernd Cyffka, Lucas Menzel, Heribert Nacken, Uta Raeder, Mario Sommerhäuser and Markus Weiler.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stork, M., Menzel, L. Analysis and simulation of the water and energy balance of intense agriculture in the Upper Rhine valley, south-west Germany. Environ Earth Sci 75, 1166 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-5980-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-5980-z