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Library Convergence of microclimate in residential landscapes across diverse cities in the United States

Convergence of microclimate in residential landscapes across diverse cities in the United States

Convergence of microclimate in residential landscapes across diverse cities in the United States

Resource information

Date of publication
December 2016
Resource Language
ISBN / Resource ID
AGRIS:US201600091675
Pages
101-117

CONTEXT: The urban heat island (UHI) is a well-documented pattern of warming in cities relative to rural areas. Most UHI research utilizes remote sensing methods at large scales, or climate sensors in single cities surrounded by standardized land cover. Relatively few studies have explored continental-scale climatic patterns within common urban microenvironments such as residential landscapes that may affect human comfort. OBJECTIVES: We tested the urban homogenization hypothesis which states that structure and function in cities exhibit ecological “sameness” across diverse regions relative to the native ecosystems they replaced. METHODS: We deployed portable micrometeorological sensors to compare air temperature and humidity in residential yards and native landscapes across six U.S. cities that span a range of climates (Phoenix, AZ; Los Angeles, CA; Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN; Boston, MA; Baltimore, MD; and Miami, FL). RESULTS: Microclimate in residential ecosystems was more similar among cities than among native ecosystems, particularly during the calm morning hours. Maximum regional actual evapotranspiration (AET) was related to the morning residential microclimate effect. Residential yards in cities with maximum AET

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Authors and Publishers

Author(s), editor(s), contributor(s)

Hall, Sharon J.
Learned, J.
Ruddell, B.
Larson, K. L.
Cavender-Bares, J.
Bettez, N.
Groffman, P. M.
Grove, J. M.
Heffernan, J. B.
Hobbie, S. E.
Morse, J. L.
Neill, C.
Nelson, K. C.
O’Neil-Dunne, J. P. M.
Ogden, L.
Pataki, D. E.
Pearse, W. D.
Polsky, C.
Chowdhury, R. Roy
Steele, M. K.
Trammell, T. L. E.

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Geographical focus