The microclimate model ENVI-met (V4) was used for predicting the effects of different systems of planted pergolas on the microclimate of an atrium. The model was firstly validated using experimental data and then used for different cases studies. The microclimate measurements were carried in a real construction project of a hydroponic pergola at Kostakii Campus of the Technological Education In...

With urban design, it is becoming increasingly important to both visualise spatial changes and quantify the effect of these changes on the local microclimate: the former often for public consultation and the latter to develop landscapes that provide resilience to warmer weather thus reducing the urban heat island effect. It is possible to automatically construct 3D landscape models from vector ...

BACKGROUND Honey bee (Apis mellifera) drones and workers show differences in morphology, physiology, and behavior. Because the functions of drones are more related to colony reproduction, and those of workers relate to both survival and reproduction, we hypothesize that the microclimate for worker brood is more precisely regulated than that of drone brood. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We as...

Condensation resulting in the formation of water films or droplets is an unavoidable process on the cuticle or skin of many organisms. This process generally occurs under humid conditions when the temperature drops below the dew point. In this study, we have investigated dew conditions on the skin of the gecko Lucasium steindachneri. When condensation occurs, we show that small dew drops, as op...

Different vegetation types can generate variation in microclimates at local scales, potentially buffering species from adverse climates. To determine if species could respond to such microclimates under climatic warming, we evaluated whether ectothermic species (butterflies) can exploit favourable microclimates and alter their use of different habitats in response to year-to-year variation in c...

Seasonality impacts species distributions through changes of the environmental conditions that affect the presence of individuals at a given place. Although the dynamics of cave microclimates are well known, only a few studies have evaluated the effects of such dynamics on non-strictly cave species. Here we assessed if species exploiting subterranean environments show changes in habitat occupat...

1. The role played by Atta species as ecosystem engineers remains poorly investigated despite previous evidence that their nests can impact plant assemblages. 2. In a large remnant of Atlantic forest, we compared forest structure at 36 Atta cephalotes nests to control sites and assessed shifts in microclimate along transects from nests up to 24 m into the forest (11 representative colonies). 3....

Deteriorated urban microclimate and poor outdoor thermal comfort is an increasing problem in cities in the tropics due to the combined effect of urban and global warming. Microclimate measurements (wind speed, air temperature and humidity, and globe temperature) were carried out in different parts of the warm-humid city Guayaquil, Ecuador. Simultaneously about 400 persons were asked for their s...

Cultivar selection, planting geometry, and plant population are the key factors determining grain sorghum yields in water deficit areas. The objective of this study was to investigate whether clump geometry (three plants clustered) improves microclimate within crop canopy when plants are grown under varying water levels. In a 2-yr sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) greenhouse study, plants wer...

higher in the winter months, when the horse’s thicker coat makes an ideal microclimate for the louse. Reports from the USA (Jones and DiPietro 1996) and Canada (Wright 1999) state that infestations of domestic horses with lice are rare; this could be due to management practices, such as combing and clipping, or because of the use of broad-spectrum ectoparasiticides. However, lice are apparently...