LINCOLN, Neb. — The Chinese Ecosystem Research Network (CERN) selected Eddy Covariance Systems by LI-COR Biosciences for countrywide use to better understand and control drought and water management in China, according to a press release.
CERN is measuring a portion of the water cycle called evapotranspiration, a combination of evaporation and transpiration from plants on a large "ecosystem-wide" scale, to offer insight into water-use efficiency, drought and water management issues, stated the release.
The release reported that projections show China anticipates a shortage of water over the next 15 years, and the transfer of water from soil and water surfaces through evaporation as well as the loss of water from plants as transpiration, represent the largest movement of water to the atmosphere; on a global scale, around 65 percent of land precipitation is returned to the atmosphere through evapotranspiration.
Evapotranspiration measurements on individual fields or plots have assisted irrigation management, water conservation, plant science research and plant breeding, and the CERN project includes 27 evapotranspiration towers in different ecosystems across China using LI-COR instruments, noted the release.
"LI-COR scientists are dedicated to creating technology that lets researchers around the world gain true, usable knowledge of the environmental conditions influencing all of us. We are driven by what the world needs to know," said LI-COR Senior Product Manager Dave Johnson. "Our Eddy Covariance System makes it possible to discover information on an ecosystem-wide basis. We're honored to have been chosen by CERN."
