Neelam (2026) Global analysis of watershed characteristics modulating the sensitivity of evapotranspiration to heat and dry extremes

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Environmental Research Letters
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-04-01
• Authors: Maheshwari Neelam
• DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/ae5a4b

Research Groups

[Information not available in the abstract.]

Short Summary

This study investigates how Climate Extreme Indices (CEIs) affect fractional evapotranspiration (fET) across global watersheds, specifically quantifying the modulating role of watershed characteristics. It reveals that soil texture and topography distinctly influence fET responses to dry events, while different heatwave metrics provide nuanced insights into vegetation stress.

Objective

• To examine how Climate Extreme Indices (CEIs) influence fractional evapotranspiration (fET) across global watershed systems, specifically quantifying how watershed characteristics modulate these relationships.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Global watershed systems
• Temporal Scale: Short- versus long-duration dry events; immediate physiological responses versus longer-term adaptive potential for temperature extremes.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Random Forest regression framework integrated with SHAP (Shapley Additive Explanations)
• Data sources: [Information not available in the abstract.]

Main Results

• Soil texture and topography distinctly modulate fET responses to short- versus long-duration dry events.
• Watersheds with higher silt content exhibit greater water retention capacity, supporting sustained fET during extended dry periods.
• Heatwave Amplitude triggers immediate physiological responses in vegetation.
• Heatwave Magnitude captures longer-term adaptive potential in vegetation.

Contributions

• Addresses a critical knowledge gap by quantifying the coupling strength between Climate Extreme Indices (CEIs) and fractional evapotranspiration (fET) and identifying the most influential watershed attributes.
• Provides a scalable framework for integrating physical watershed thresholds into proactive climate resilience planning.

Funding

[Information not available in the abstract.]

Citation

@article{Neelam2026Global,
  author = {Neelam, Maheshwari},
  title = {Global analysis of watershed characteristics modulating the sensitivity of evapotranspiration to heat and dry extremes},
  journal = {Environmental Research Letters},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1088/1748-9326/ae5a4b},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ae5a4b}
}