Table 2 Details of environmental parameters for each season over the study period: long dry season 2007 (LDS07), transition between the dry and the wet period 2008 (DW-T08), long wet season 2008 (LWS08), transition between the wet and the dry period 2008 (WD-T08), long dry season 2008 (LDS08), and transition between the dry and the wet period 2009 (DW-T09)

Date

01/09/07–15/11/07

16/11/07–29/02/08

01/03/08–15/07/08

16/07/08–31/08/08

01/09/08–13/12/08

14/12/08–28/02/09

Duration (days)

76

106

137

47

104

77

Global radiation (MJ m⁻² day⁻¹)

21.6

14.0

15.4

20.9

21.3

13.2

Atmospheric pressure (mbar)

1,006.4

1,006.0

1,006.5

1,006.7

1,005.8

1,004.3

Air temperature (°C)

25.4

24.3

24.5

25.1

25.6

24.4

Minimum relative humidity (%)

64.9

76.6

76.7

70.2

63.3

80.9

Vapor pressure deficit (kPa)

10.4

7.0

7.1

9.3

11.0

6.2

Maximum vapor pressure deficit (kPa)

15.5

10.3

10.8

15.4

16.7

10.2

Rainfall (mm)

218.3

1,336.2

1,549.4

188.0

112.0

1,200.2

Wind direction (°)

123.1

92.2

109.3

139.7

127.2

132.2

Wind speed (m s⁻¹)

2.8

3.1

2.7

2.6

2.7

2.2

Soil water content (m³ m⁻³) TFF

0.19

0.33

0.35

0.19

0.14

0.35

Soil water content (m³ m⁻³) SFF

0.14

0.30

0.41

0.30

0.15

0.37

Soil temperature (°C) (TFF)

25.5

24.9

24.8

25.2

25.6

25.0