Uncertainty in sap flow of Brazilian mahogany determined by the heat ratio method

The tropical arboreal species Brazilian mahogany(Swietenia macrophylla) is very important economically and ecologically,for which understanding ecophysiological variables such as sap flow will improve understanding of the species and its cultivation.This paper aims to measure uncertainties(U) involved in the application of the heat ratio method for determining sap flow in Brazilian mahogany using sets of heating probes and thermometers installed on plants of 18 months of age,cultivated in Yellow Latosol,under a weighing lysimeter and located in a protected environment.The uncertainty in sap flow was calculated as the combination of uncertainty in the thermal diffusivity(U_k),conductive section(U_(Sc)) and corrected sap velocity(U_(Vc)).U_k had greater weight in determining the flow of sap in Brazilian mahogany,when compared to U_(Sc) and U_(Vc).The thermal diffusivity during the cycle,or period evaluated,must be adjusted to improve the accuracy of the heat ratio method because the sap flow overestimated transpiration by 15.0%.When soil water was optimal In addition,the vapor pressure deficit linearly and indirectly influenced the SF with a difference of 14.6%.