An analysis of surface fluxes and of the microclimate on cerrado, sugarcane and eucalyptus: implications for regional climate changes

Author(s)

Jônatan Düpont Tatsch

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto Astronômico e Geofísico (IAG/SBD)
• Defense date: 2006-12-07

Examining board members

Humberto Ribeiro da Rocha; Osvaldo Machado Rodrigues Cabral; Leila Maria Vespoli de Carvalho

• Advisor: Humberto Ribeiro da Rocha

Abstract

This work investigates potential regional scale temperature and precipitation changes in the São Paulo state, caused by land use changes. We analised micrometeorological measurements, in the period February 2005 to February 2006, over three different ecosystems (cerrado, sugar cane and eucalyptus plantation). The surface energy balances showed that over the cerrado the net radiation was larger than for sucar cane, mostly due to a larger albedo and long wave radiation loss. The net radiation was similar between the cerrado and eucalyptus. The energy partition over the cerrado and sugar cane differed markedly during the first four months after sugar cane´s harvest, when the Bowen ratio and soil heat flux were both higher over the latter area. During the wet period, was evapotranspiration over eucalyptus ppeared remarkably larger (5,2 mm day-1), compared to the cerrado and sugar cane (3,1 e 2,5 mm day-1, respectively). Despite that, the eucalyptus area was the most sensitive to soil water stress conditions, where the largest reduction in evapotranspiration was observed at the end of August. The daily maximum emperature (Tmax) over the cerrado was lower than over the sugar cane (from 1,3 to 2 ºC) and larger than over eucalyptus (from 0,5 to 1,3 ºC), concurrent with the comparisons of energy partitioning during most of the year. The daily minimum temperature (Tmin) over cerrado site was larger than over the sugar cane (up to 3 ºC) and over eucalyptus (up to 1 ºC). Time series of precipitation and air temperature (Tmax and Tmin), at Ribeirão Preto and Campinas cities, were further analyzed, in the 1943 to 2000 period, and suggested over both stations a decadal oscillation marked by warm phasis (in Tmax) and dry phase in precip), in the sub-period 1943-1965, followed by an wet phase (in precip) and slightly cold phase (of Tmax) up to 2000. This pattern appeared to be similar to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation variability, thus likely to be controlled by a large scale natural variability. The annual mean Tmin showed a significant increasing trend in the last 58 years, despite of some cold years during 980s, particularly at Ribeirão Preto city. In the last two decades (1980 2000) the persistence of warm Tmin anomalies was more clearly noticed, concurrent with global mean temperature trends, likely arising from the enhancement of the greenhouse effect. However, we found evidences that increasing urbanization could have affected the measurements over the meteorological weather stations, based on comparisons with NCEP/DOE reanalysis data variability. The urbanization effect is most likely in the Campinas city, partly to three factors: the meteorological station is located close to the urban spot area, local wind regimes, and substantial population growth between 1950 to 2000. Hypothesizing that the sugar cane plantations replaced, in the last 30 years, the primitive cerrado areas that existed in the early 20th century, and comparing the microclimate over both ecosystems, it is suggested that the land use changes associated to sugar cane plantation does not explain the long term temperature variability observed in the weather stations. However, the seasonal trends of Tmax appeared to decrease in the last 30 years, during the winter season, what could be caused by the increasing sugar cane burning emission. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 03/10004-1 - Climatic variations and hydrological cycle in the conversion of cerrados for Eucalyptus and sugarcane
• Grantee: Jônatan Dupont Tatsch
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master