Experimental Variability in the Determination of the Energy Balance in a Deciduous Forest

Abstract The question of the experimental reliability of the use of the energy balance model in energy budget calculations in a deciduous forest has been studied. Data were collected from three towers located in a mixed hardwood stand. Diurnal profiles of sensible and latent heat are presented. The largest absolute differences in the energy budget terms occurred as a result of variations in the net radiation. These variations were consistent over the entire season, such that they cannot be eliminated by temporal averaging. The effects of the variations in the temperature and moisture profiles were found not to be significant in the energy balance calculation under uniform wind and good fetch conditions. However, during periods with shifting winds the variability resulting from the temperature and moisture profiles was unacceptably large.