Abstract
Despite the recognized benefits of bioretention systems in managing urban stormwater, there is a gap in knowledge regarding the role of evapotranspiration (ET) in these systems. In addition to climatic variables, design variables (such as growing media and vegetation) are expected to affect ET and consequently the performance of these systems. To advance the understanding of bioretention systems, 24 bioretention mesocosms, constructed using three media types and planted with three vegetation types, were monitored in 2018–2019. Apart from the strong influence of the climatic variables (solar radiation, air temperature, and relative humidity), the observed significant differences in ET, particularly at the surface layer, were attributed to the differences in media and vegetation of the mesocosms. The greatest ET was estimated from the woody mesocosms, followed by the herbaceous and grass (control) mesocosms. Additionally, the role of vegetation became more prominent over time. Therefore, considering these variables in the design of bioretention systems would be beneficial for improving their performance.
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References
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Acknowledgements
This research was funded by NSERC CRD, the Town of Okotoks, the City of Calgary, the Bow River Basin Council, and Source2Source. The authors also would like to acknowledge the funding from the federal and provincial governments and many others for constructing the bioretention research facility, and the involvement of many organizations including the Alberta Low Impact Development Partnership.
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© 2022 Canadian Society for Civil Engineering
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Nasrollahpour, R., Skorobogatov, A., He, J., Valeo, C., Chu, A., van Duin, B. (2022). The Effects of Climatic and Design Variables on Evapotranspiration in Bioretention Systems. In: Walbridge, S., et al. Proceedings of the Canadian Society of Civil Engineering Annual Conference 2021 . CSCE 2021. Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, vol 250. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-1065-4_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-1065-4_5
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