@article{fdi:010068339,
  title = {{D}ynamics of water vapor and energy exchanges above two contrasting {S}udanian climate ecosystems in {N}orthern {B}enin ({W}est {A}frica)},
  author = {{M}amadou, {O}. and {G}alle, {S}ylvie and {C}ohard, {J}. {M}. and {P}eugeot, {C}hristophe and {K}ounouhewa, {B}. and {B}iron, {R}omain and {H}ector, {B}. and {Z}annou, {A}. {B}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{N}atural ecosystems in sub-{S}aharan {A}frica are experiencing intense changes that will probably modify land surface feedbacks and consequently the regional climate. {I}n this study, we have analyzed water vapor ({Q}({LE})) and sensible heat ({Q}({H})) fluxes over a woodland ({B}ellefoungou, {BE}) and a cultivated area ({N}alohou, {NA}) in the {S}udanian climate of {N}orthern {B}enin, using 2years (from {J}uly 2008 to {J}une 2010) of eddy covariance measurements. {T}he evaporative fraction ({EF}) response to environmental and surface variables was investigated at seasonal scale. {S}oil moisture was found to be the main environmental factor controlling energy partitioning. {D}uring the wet seasons, {EF} was rather stable with an average of 0.750.07 over the woodland and 0.700.025 over the cultivated area. {T}his means that 70-75% of the available energy was changed into actual evapotranspiration during the investigated wet seasons depending on the vegetation type. {T}he cumulative annual actual evapotranspiration ({AET}) varied between 73050mmyr(-1) at the {NA} site and 104070mmyr(-1) at the {BE} site. {W}ith similar weather conditions at the two sites, the {BE} site showed 30% higher {AET} values than the {NA} site. {T}he sensible heat flux {Q}({H}) at the cultivated site was always higher than that of the woodland site, but observed differences were much less than those of {Q}({LE}). {I}n a land surface conversion context, these differences are expected to impact both atmospheric dynamics and the hydrological cycle. {K}ey {P}oints {A}t least 70% of the available energy was changed into actual evapotranspiration during wet seasons {S}oil moisture was found to be the main factor controlling energy partitioning {T}he annual cumulative {AET} measured was 30% higher over the woodland than over the cultivated area},
  keywords = {eddy covariance ; actual evapotranspiration ; sensible heat flux ; water balance ; {S}udanian climate ; {W}est {A}frica ; {BENIN} ; {ZONE} {TROPICALE} ; {ZONE} {SOUDANOSAHELIENNE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{J}ournal of {G}eophysical {R}esearch : {A}tmospheres},
  volume = {121},
  numero = {19},
  pages = {11269--11286},
  ISSN = {2169-897{X}},
  year = {2016},
  DOI = {10.1002/2016jd024749},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010068339},
}