[Objective] The objective of this paper is to explore the spatial and temporal characteristics of evapotranspriation(ET) in the Beiluo River basin

and provide theoretical basis for the study of ecological benchmark and ecological water requirement and the effect of returning farmland to forest. [Methods] Based on MOD16 remote sensing image data

meteorological and hydrological date during 2000—2014

and the land use date in 2011

we used river basin water balance method

method of mean value

the standard deviation method and the linear trend method to analysis the spatial and temporal variation characteristics of evaporation. [Results] The mean annual evapotranspiration of Beiluo River basin increased slowly with values ranged from 395.4 to 517.4 mm

and average evapotranspiration during the past 15 years was 446.74 mm. The monthly variation of evapotranspiration within the year show a unimodal pattern

it was mainly concentrated in the period from May to September

and its peak value occurred in August. The average relative error was 12.04% between spatial interpolation results based on measured rainfall and estimates based on MOD16-ET

the correlation coefficient was 0.81. The profile line of ET changed greatly from upstream to downstream of the Beiluo River basin

which presented the irregular “wave curves”. The spatial variation of annual ET was obvious in the basin. The ET showed an increasing trend in the midstream and upstream

while it showed a decreasing trend in the downstream. [Conclusion] In the recent 15 years

the evapotranspiration in Beiluo River basin showed an increasing trend

and human activity was the main driving force

especially the implementation of grain for green project and soil and water conservation project.