Field water dynamics in integrated systems in the Brazilian.

Agroforestry systems were established as a viable option for Brazilian farmers in recent decades. Shading is expected to affect the system?s microclimate and thus it is likely to alter water fluxes to the atmosphere via evapotranspiration. In this study we measured the evapotranspiration (ET) with micro-lysimeters in four different treatments as a proxy for different land use systems at EMBRAPA Beef Cattle, the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, located in Campo Grande-MS, Brasil. The four treatments are: Integrated systems with rows of Eucalypt (Eucalyptus urograndis) trees (ICLF), integrated systems without Eucalypt trees (ICL), continuous pasture (CP) and native Cerrado (Savannah) vegetation. In the ICLF and ICL plots Bracchiaria brizantha was planted and in the CP plots Brachiaria decumbens. To measure the evapotranspiration lysimeters (diameter of 10 cm and a depth of 20 cm) were inserted into the ground and weighed daily during a period of 8 weeks. Within the ICLF systems, measurements were conducted in three different distances to the tree rows. In the treatments without trees the lysimeters were distributed randomly. Results were linked to data from the microclimate, i.e. wind speed, air humidity, and global radiation