Dew Evaporation Amount and Its Influencing Factors in an Urban Ecosystem in Northeastern China

Abstract

Dew is an important water input and promotes plant growth. Dew condenses on plant leaves at night, and a portion of this dew returns to the atmosphere through evaporation. The amount of dew that evaporates is not equal to the amount of condensation; however, the dew evaporation process has not received enough attention. By monitoring the dew condensation and evaporation processes associated with four typical shrubs (Syringa, Hemiptelea, Buxus, and Cornus) in northeast China, we found that dew condensation started approximately 30 min after sunset, finished approximately 30 min before sunrise, and then turned to the evaporation phase. Dew had completely depleted approximately 4 h after sunrise. The dew evaporation period was negatively correlated with the wind speed (p < 0.01) and positively correlated with temperature, solar radiation, and relative humidity (RH) (p < 0.01). The average evaporation periods of Syringa, Buxus, Cornus, and Hemiptelea were 282 ± 21 min, 255 ± 26 min, 242 ± 22 min, and 229 ± 17 min, respectively. The daily evaporation amounts in May and September reached the minimum and maximum values, respectively, and the evaporation intensity of dew was positively correlated with RH (p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in the daily evaporation amounts of Syringa, Hemiptelea, Buxus, or Cornus (p > 0.05), and the annual evaporation amounts of these four plants were 17.05 mm/y, 16.38 mm/y, 21.94 mm/y, and 16.15 mm/y, respectively. The microstructure of leaves affected both the rate and amount of evaporation. Dew evaporated faster on hydrophilic leaves, and leaves with high trichome and stomatal densities had lower proportions of the dew evaporation amount to the condensation amount. The proportions of the dew evaporation amount to the condensation amount derived for Syringa, Hemiptelea, Buxus, and Cornus were 60.38%, 46.07%, 57.24%, and 52.81%, respectively. This study supplements our understanding of dew evaporation amounts, providing information that was missing in the near-surface hydrological cycle and aiding in the assessment of the ecological significance of dew to plants.