Energy balance storage terms and big-leaf evapotranspiration in a mixed deciduous forest

Five different heat storage terms were studied in a mixed deciduous forest. All terms should be taken into account for the calculation of the overall heat storage, because they all can be significant during certain weather co nditions and hours. Heat storage in biomass is estimated using surface temp eratures measured with an infrared radiometer, which seems to be a good met hod. The often neglected photosynthetic heat storage may not be omitted. On a seasonal basis soil heat storage seems to be the most important term. Th e overall heat storage shows a small tendency for releasing heat to the atm osphere during fall. Fluctuations in overall heat storage are a result of c omplex changes of several climatic parameters. Due to the high degree of co upling of the forest to the atmosphere, accurate measurements of overall he at storage for the determination of big leaf forest evapotranspiration are not of the utmost importance.