Bowen ratio

The Bowen Ratio is a way to measure how much of the Earth's heat is being used by the plants and animals that live on it. It works like this: scientists measure how much energy is released from the Earth's surface (called "upward sensible heat flux") and how much energy is taken in by the plants and animals (called "downward latent heat flux"). Then, they divide the two measurements. This gives them a number, which is called the "Bowen Ratio." A higher Bowen Ratio means that plants and animals are using more energy from the Earth's surface, while a lower Bowen Ratio means that less energy is being used by plants and animals.