WATER FLUX THROUGH A SEMI-DECIDUOUS FOREST GRAVE OF THE ORINOCO SAVANNAS

Water relations were analysed in a semi-deciduous forest grove occurring in the oxisols of the Orinoco savannas. This grove has a shallow unconsolidated ironstone cuirass, which is overlaid by a sandy loam layer (0.0-0.5 m) that contains more than 90% of the grove forest root phytomass. Evapotranspiration and through drainage were calculated by using data from the soil profile as related to physical characteristics of the site root zone, hydraulic conductivity, volumetric water content and potential hydraulic gradient. Mean annual evapotranspiration was 783 mm year(-1) and annual through drainage below the root zone was 14% (162 mm year(-1)) of the gross rainfall. This drainage recharged the 42% of the annual saturation deficit of the water table. Similar mean annual evapotranspiration (770 mm year(-1)) was also calculated by using the water balance components. The mean daily coupling omega factor (Omega) between the grove canopy and the surrounding atmosphere indicated that a high degree of coupling (Omega=0.14+/-0.16) occurs in the grove and evapotranspiration was mainly controlled by surface conductance. As the dry season proceeded, the soil saturation deficit (delta theta) increased rapidly resulting in a threshold surface conductance (0.030-0.005 m s(-1)) for delta theta ranging from 0.05 to 0.10. Hypotheses to explain the omnipresence of perennial species in the wide range of physical conditions in neotropical savannas are discussed.