Field-Scale Estimation of Evapotranspiration DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.80945

lysimeters at the SPER, and the open space between the lysimeters, limits their absolute accuracy. However, this facility can provide good comparisons between treatments and soil types. This illustrates that even though the quantitative measurements from some lysimeters may be lacking, the qualitative data can still be quite valuable. More information regarding lysimeter research at the CPRL can be found in [20].

Even smaller lysimeters can also have value. Temporary "micro lysimeters" have been used to measure soil evaporation on a daily time step (see Figure 4). Lysimeters such as these are useful in research involving partitioning evaporation and transpiration separately. Like the small lysimeters at the CPRL, the micro lysimeters are not perfectly accurate but can still provide meaningful data for certain purposes. Many other lysimeter designs have been used and can be permanent or temporary. Large weighing lysimeters are the most accurate, but other, simpler, and more costeffective options are available. As with most instruments, the accuracy and usefulness of the data will depend on the purpose and management of the lysimeter.
