EVAPOTRANSPIRATION - What is Evapotranspiration and Its Different Types

Evapotranspiration can be divided  into  2 parts which are evaporation and transpiration. Evaporation can be defined as the lost of water from the earth surface to the atmosphere that is either through run off, standing water or water bodies . While Transpiration can be defined as the lost of water from plants to the atmosphere therefore Evapotranspiration is the combine lost of water from both the earth surface and plants to the atmosphere.

  THE MAIN TYPES OF EVAPOTRANSPIRATION

  There are 2 main types of of Evapotranspiration that is Actual Evapotranspiration and Potential Evapotranspiration. Actual Evapotranspiration is the lost of water to the atmosphere considering there is limited supply of water for instance moist areas and standing water . potential Evapotranspiration is the lost of water to the Atmosphere considering that there is continues supply of water for instance river bodies, ocean, seas.

    Actual Evapotranspiration is a major component of the Hydrological  cycle  and  one of the most important physical process in natural ecosystem . it explains the exchange of water and energy between the soil , earth surface and atmosphere.

   Potential Evapotranspiration  is the potential evaporation from soils plus transpiration by plants This indicator describes the capacity of the prevailing  climate to evaporate water from soils,plants, open

 water other surfaces.    

Importance or significance of Evapotranspiration

• Evapotranspiration is one of the important land surface processes that carries water from canopy and soil through transpiration  and evaporation to atmosphere.

• Evapotranspiration is essential for water resources management ,hydro,environmental conversation and agriculture.
• Evapotranspiration is and indicator of the rate change of the global water cycle and is necessity for most numeric weather forecasting and global climate.
• Through links between stomata conductance ,carbon exchange and water use efficiently  in plant canopy serves as a regulator of key ecosystem processes
• Evapotranspiration is an important process in the water cycle  because it is responsible for 15 percent  of the atmosphere. Without that input of water vapor , clouds could not  form and precipitation would never fall . 

Disadvantages of Evapotranspiration

• The systems are not suitable in areas where the land is limited or where the land surface is irregular.
• They have a limited storage capacity , there by unable to store much winter wastewater for evaporation in the summer.
• There is a potential  for overloading from infiltration of precipitation.
• Concentration of evaporating substances in the air.
• Temperature of the liquid . A cup of hot water  will evaporate more quickly  than a cup of cold water.