Abstract
The use of poplar tree systems (PTS) as evapotranspiration barriers on decommissioned landfills is gaining attention as an option for leachate management. This study involved field-testing the Simultaneous Heat and Water (SHAW) model for its ability to reliably estimate poplar transpiration, volumetric soil water content, and soil temperature at a landfill located in southern Ontario, Canada. The model was then used to estimate deep drainage and to ascertain the influence of a young PTS on the soil water balance of the landfill cover. The SHAW model tended to underestimate poplar transpiration [mean difference (MD) ranged from 0.33 to 3.55 mm on a daily total basis] and overestimate volumetric soil water content by up to 0.10 m3 m-3. The model estimated soil temperature very well, particularly in the upper 1 m of the landfill cover (MD ranged from -0.1 to 1.6 ×°C in this layer). The SHAW model simulations showed that deep drainage decreased appreciably with the presence of a young PTS largely through increased interception of rainfall, and that PTS have a good potential to act as effective evapotranspiration barriers in northern temperate climate zones.
Keywords
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
