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Detecting Forest Water‐Availability and Biomass Patterns Through a Retrospective Study in a Mediterranean Region.

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Title: Detecting Forest Water‐Availability and Biomass Patterns Through a Retrospective Study in a Mediterranean Region.
Authors: Tauro, Flavia1 (AUTHOR) flavia.tauro@unitus.it, Marye, Ashenafi Tadesse2,3 (AUTHOR), De Gregorio, Tommaso4 (AUTHOR), Huerta, Eloy Suarez4 (AUTHOR)
Source: Water Resources Research. May2026, Vol. 62 Issue 5, p1-43. 43p.
Subjects: Forests & forestry, Vegetation patterns, Latent heat, Forest microclimatology, Droughts, Forest productivity, Remote-sensing images
Geographic Terms: Central Italy, Southern Europe
Abstract: Latent heat (λ $\lambda $ET) fluxes are a major component of the hydrological cycle globally. According to recent models and experimental observations, during droughts, wetter regions respond by increasing λ $\lambda $ET, while drier regions exhibit decreasing trends due to vegetation water stress. To dissect the λ $\lambda $ET signature of natural forests in a Mediterranean region, typically regarded as a dry environment, in this work, we reconstructed the λ $\lambda $ET fluxes, gross primary production, and water use efficiency (WUE) of 15 natural unmanaged forests in Central Italy from 2000 to 2022, and explored their dependencies on local temperature and precipitation. Historical λ $\lambda $ET data were estimated through a time‐domain parameterization of the traditional "triangle method," which leverages satellite imagery to compute actual latent heat flux as a residual term of the land surface energy balance, while WUE was delivered through the Vegetation Photosynthesis Model. Based on our results, forests arrange along a gradient of water‐availability and biomass conditions whereby, following λ $\lambda $ET enhancement, biomass first increased and water reserves were developed to afford the dry season. However, when water savings became insufficient, WUE decreased and was then followed by biomass reduction. Consideration of soil moisture data will provide further insights on forest resilience and water‐availability under future climatic scenarios. Key Points: Latent heat fluxes of 15 Mediterranean forests were reconstructed for more than 20 years based on satellite imageryIn late Summer/early Fall months, most forests showed significant λ $\lambda $ET increases, which often occurred despite decreasing precipitationA conceptual scheme is proposed to explain the water‐availability and biomass status of forests and support plant response to climate [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database: Engineering Source
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Abstract:Latent heat (λ $\lambda $ET) fluxes are a major component of the hydrological cycle globally. According to recent models and experimental observations, during droughts, wetter regions respond by increasing λ $\lambda $ET, while drier regions exhibit decreasing trends due to vegetation water stress. To dissect the λ $\lambda $ET signature of natural forests in a Mediterranean region, typically regarded as a dry environment, in this work, we reconstructed the λ $\lambda $ET fluxes, gross primary production, and water use efficiency (WUE) of 15 natural unmanaged forests in Central Italy from 2000 to 2022, and explored their dependencies on local temperature and precipitation. Historical λ $\lambda $ET data were estimated through a time‐domain parameterization of the traditional "triangle method," which leverages satellite imagery to compute actual latent heat flux as a residual term of the land surface energy balance, while WUE was delivered through the Vegetation Photosynthesis Model. Based on our results, forests arrange along a gradient of water‐availability and biomass conditions whereby, following λ $\lambda $ET enhancement, biomass first increased and water reserves were developed to afford the dry season. However, when water savings became insufficient, WUE decreased and was then followed by biomass reduction. Consideration of soil moisture data will provide further insights on forest resilience and water‐availability under future climatic scenarios. Key Points: Latent heat fluxes of 15 Mediterranean forests were reconstructed for more than 20 years based on satellite imageryIn late Summer/early Fall months, most forests showed significant λ $\lambda $ET increases, which often occurred despite decreasing precipitationA conceptual scheme is proposed to explain the water‐availability and biomass status of forests and support plant response to climate [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:00431397
DOI:10.1029/2025WR041328