Evapotranspiration (ET) along with soil water content, aboveground biomass and leaf area index (LAI) was investigated to gain a better understanding of how grazing affects water availability in the northern mixed prairie of North Dakota (46° 46' N, 100° 55' W). Measurements were taken every three weeks during the growing season for three years on a continuously grazed native prairie site, a native prairie site that had not been grazed for four years and a grazed seeded western wheatgrass stand. Grazing was moderate on the two grazed sites. Energy balance measurements including temperature and humidity above the vegetation canopy, water vapor flux, net radiation, soil heat flux, soil temperature were taken throughout each day during the growing season to calculate ET.
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