Abstract
Trees affect the microclimate, which influences thermal comfort and ecosystem processes. This study investigated the influence of the canopy cover on daily maximum and minimum temperatures. The data are from a collaborative database, and each measurement consists of the minimum and maximum temperatures under the canopy and in an open adjacent area over a 24-hour period. Paired sample t-tests indicated that the canopy decreased the maximum and minimum daily temperatures and narrowed the daily temperature range. Multiple regression showed that the canopy cover percentage decreased the maximum daily temperatures, and this effect was greater in rural areas than in urbanized areas. Another multiple regression indicated that the canopy cover percentage and the distance to the edge of the canopy decreased the daily temperature range. An independent sample t-test also indicated that the effect of the canopy on the daily temperature range was higher in rural areas when analysed by parametric and non-parametric tests but not when measured by a robust test. Other independent sample t-tests indicated that the distance from a light source also decreased the canopy effect on the minimum daily temperature and the daily temperature range. The main plausible underlying processes include the canopy shade and wind insulation, litter insulation of the ground surface, heat pumps through evapotranspiration and lateral heat fluxes from light bulbs and other anthropogenic sources, especially in urbanized areas. These results provide a greater understanding of the effects of arborization in rural and urban ecosystems, as well as their respective benefits to human communities.
Highlights
Vegetation creates microclimates that are distinct from open environments
Canopy cover was estimated in intervals of 10%, and the values were transformed into a canopy index that represented the mid-values of each interval
Ground conductance tends to be higher in urban areas because structures and artificial surfaces retain heat during the day and release it during the night, increasing night-time minimum temperatures
Summary
Vegetation creates microclimates that are distinct from open environments. Canopy and canopy litter have different albedos than that of bare soil, and they prevent direct solar radiation from reaching the ground surface. All these changes can affect the local niches of ecosystems and, could be important when planning for more effective thermal comfort in environments inhabited by humans. The microclimates in open areas and in areas under canopy cover may offer distinct conditions in terms of ecosystem development. Along the process of ecological succession, the development of larger trees with a thicker canopy would change the environmental conditions for different living beings in the ecosystem
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