Understorey evapotranspiration (ET) is an important unknown in the water balance of the Murray-Darling Basin. This study adapted a novel method, i.e., Maximum Entropy Production (MEP) ET modelling, for monitoring and mapping ET from floodplain woodland understorey and short vegetation surfaces. The understorey in a River Red Gum woodland and a Black Box woodland are investigated, together with two surfaces covered by Lignum shrubs and Copperburr bushes. The investigation is based on continuous data collection at three stations and about 30 iButton locations, and monthly drone observations, on a Murray River floodplain near Lock 4, Bookpurngong, South Australia.
This progress report summarizes field instrumentation, data collection from spring 2021 to autumn 2022, relevant methods, ET modelling with the MEP-ET models and with the Bowen ratio energy balance method, and MEP-based ET mapping from drone observations.
