EVAPOTRANSPIRATION Evapotranspiration (ET) is the loss of water to the atmosphere through evaporation and transpiration by plants.

Evaporation accounts for the movement of water to the air from sources such as the soil, canopy interception, and water bodies. Transpiration accounts for the movement of water within a plant and the subsequent loss of water as vapor through stomata in its leaves. An element (such as a tree) that contributes to evapotranspiration can be called an evapotranspirator. Evapotranspiration is important to the hydrologic cycle. Types of vegetation and land use significantly affect evapotranspiration and therefore the amount of water leaving a watershed. For instance, ET data helps minimize water loss by developing effective irrigation schedules. The data is also critical in determining water balances necessary to maintaining a variety of ecosystems, such as wetlands and reservoirs. Factors that affect Evapotranspiration: 1) Temperature Evaporation increases because there is a higher amount of energy available to convert the liquid water to water vapor. Transpiration increases because at warmer temperatures plants open up their stomata and release more water vapor. 2) Humidity An important consideration in evapotranspiration rates because as the air becomes more and more saturated, less water is able to evaporate into that air. Therefore, as the relative humidity increases transpiration decreases. 3) Wind speed If the air is moving, the rate of evaporation will increase. The wind will also clear the air of any humidity produced by the plants transpiration, increasing its rate of transpiration. 4) Water availability If the soil is dry there will be no evaporation. If plants cant get enough water they will conserve it instead of transpiring by closing their stoma. 5) Plant type Different plants transpire water at different rates. For example, a cactus is designed to conserve water. As such, it does not transpire as much as a pine tree would because the pine does not need to conserve water. In addition to the five factors mentioned above, evapotranspiration rates are also dependent upon geography, namely, an area's latitude and climate. Regions on the globe with the most solar radiation experience more evapotranspiration because there is more solar energy available to evaporate the water.