Dynamics and drivers of mycorrhizal fungi after glacier retreat

The development of terrestrial ecosystems depends greatly on plant mutualists such as mycorrhizal fungi. The global retreat of glaciers exposes nutrient-poor substrates in extreme environments and provides a unique opportunity to study early successions of mycorrhizal fungi by assessing their dynamics and drivers. We combined environmental DNA metabarcoding and measurements of local conditions to assess the succession of mycorrhizal communities during soil development in 46 glacier forelands around the globe, testing whether dynamics and drivers differ between mycorrhizal types. Mycorrhizal fungi colonized deglaciated areas very quickly (< 10 yr), with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi tending to become more diverse through time compared to ectomycorrhizal fungi. Both alpha- and beta-diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were significantly related to time since glacier retreat and plant communities, while microclimate and primary productivity were more important for ectomycorrhizal fungi. The richness and composition of mycorrhizal communities were also significantly explained by soil chemistry, highlighting the importance of microhabitat for community dynamics. The acceleration of ice melt and the modifications of microclimate forecasted by climate change scenarios are expected to impact the diversity of mycorrhizal partners. These changes could alter the interactions underlying biotic colonization and belowground-aboveground linkages, with multifaceted impacts on soil development and associated ecological processes.

Overwintering site selection and associated microclimates for the redbanded stink bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), a non-native pest of soybean

Cold winter temperatures govern the distribution and abundance of many insect species, but refugia that provide microclimates can moderate temperature-driven mortality. Winter temperatures have been implicated in limiting the survival and range of Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae; redbanded stink bug), an economically damaging invasive pest in the southeastern United States, but the role of refugia in overwintering survival of this pest is poorly understood. We conducted 2 studies in successive years to evaluate how leaf litter from hardwoods, pines, and soybeans modulate overwintering site selection and survival of P. guildinii. In the second-year study, we also quantified the buffering effect of the 3 leaf litter types compared to ambient conditions and assessed diapause. In the first-year study, we found that stink bugs preferentially dispersed into leaf litter compared with remaining unsheltered on bare soil; no clear preference among leaf litter types was found. In the second year, however, no clear differences were found among leaf litter types and bare soil. Means of daily minimum temperatures under leaf litter were at least 3.0 ± 0.9 °C (SE) warmer and generally less variable than ambient conditions. While high mortality in both studies illustrates that more work must be done to fully understand overwintering survival, limited survival through potentially lethal conditions in the first-year study nonetheless emphasizes the possibility of populations persisting and rebounding in the following spring. Furthermore, our study highlights the potential for stink bugs to persist in areas with lethal ambient temperatures by dispersing into widely available substrates.

Vineyard microclimate alterations induced by black inter-row mulch through transcriptome reshaped the flavoromics of cabernet sauvignon grapes

BACKGROUND

Weed control is essential for agricultural floor management in vineyards and the inter-row mulching is an eco-friendly practice to inhibit weed growth via filtering out photosynthetically active radiation. Besides weed suppression, inter-row mulching can influence grapevine growth and the accumulation of metabolites in grape berries. However, the complex interaction of multiple factors in the field challenges the understanding of molecular mechanisms on the regulated metabolites. In the current study, black geotextile inter-row mulch (M) was applied for two vintages (2016-2017) from anthesis to harvest. Metabolomics and transcriptomics analysis were conducted in two vintages, aiming to provide insights into metabolic and molecular responses of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes to M in a semi-arid climate.

RESULTS

Upregulation of genes related to photosynthesis and heat shock proteins confirmed that M weakened the total light exposure and grapes suffered heat stress, resulting in lower sugar-acid ratio at harvest. Key genes responsible for enhancements in phenylalanine, glutamine, ornithine, arginine, and C6 alcohol concentrations, and the downward trend in ε-viniferin, anthocyanins, flavonols, terpenes, and norisoprenoids in M grapes were identified. In addition, several modules significantly correlated with the metabolic biomarkers through weighted correlation network analysis, and the potential key transcription factors regulating the above metabolites including VviGATA11, VviHSFA6B, and VviWRKY03 were also identified.

CONCLUSION

This study provides a valuable overview of metabolic and transcriptomic responses of M grapes in semi-arid climates, which could facilitate understanding the complex regulatory network of metabolites in response to microclimate changes.

Social microclimates and well-being

Emotional well-being has a known relationship with a person's direct social ties, including friendships; but do ambient social and emotional features of the local community also play a role? This work takes advantage of university students' assignment to different local networks-or "social microclimates"-to probe this question. Using Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression, we quantify the collective impact of individual, social network, and microclimate factors on the emotional well-being of a cohort of first-year college students. Results indicate that well-being tracks individual factors but also myriad social and microclimate factors, reflecting one's peers and social surroundings. Students who belonged to emotionally stable and tight-knit microclimates (i.e., had emotionally stable friends or resided in densely connected residence halls) reported lower levels of psychological distress and higher levels of life satisfaction, even when controlling for factors such as personality and social network size. Although rarely discussed or acknowledged in the policies that create them, social microclimates are consequential to well-being, especially during life transitions. The effects of microclimate factors are small relative to some individual factors; however, they explain unique variance in well-being that is not directly captured by emotional stability or other individual factors. These findings are novel, but preliminary, and should be replicated in new samples and contexts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The thermal comfort of pedestrians in a humid subtropical climate according to different thermal perception ratings

This study aims to evaluate agreement among subjective thermal comfort, thermal sensation, thermal perception, and thermal tolerance indices, according to pedestrians in downtown Santa Maria, southern Brazil, which has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa). Between August 2015 and July 2016 (three periods), 1728 questionnaires were applied. Evaluation of the dependence of statistical variables was based on gender and age, at three periods of time: August 2015 (864 respondents), January 2016 (432 respondents), and July 2016 (432 respondents). Statistical evaluation was based on Pearson's chi-square test using RStudio software, and a significance level (α) of 5% for thermal comfort, thermal sensation, thermal preference, and thermal tolerance was used. Results indicated that age and gender affect the relationship between the variables. Thermal comfort and thermal tolerance presented the best correlation and coherence, regardless of age or gender. This study contributes to knowledge on the local microclimate and can contribute to urban planning to implement strategies that improve pedestrians' thermal comfort.

Exploring body morphology, sacral skin microclimate and pressure injury development and risk among patients admitted to an intensive care unit: A prospective, observational study

OBJECTIVE

To determine the association between body morphology, sacral skin microclimate and their impact on the development and risk of pressure injuries among patients in an intensive care unit.

METHODOLOGY

A prospective observational exploratory study was conducted over 30 weeks. Repeat study observations occurred multiple times a week for 28 days or until discharge. Participant inclusion criteria were ≥ 18 years of age, expected intensive care length of stay > 24 h and intact skin over the sacrum region.

SETTING

The study was conducted in a 36-bed intensive care unit of a major metropolitan public hospital in Queensland, Australia.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Pressure injuries were staged and independently verified according to the international pressure injury classification system. Pressure injury risk was determined by the Braden scale score and subepidermal oedema, using a subepidermal moisture scanner at the sacrum.

RESULTS

Of the 93 participants recruited, an inverted triangle body shape (p =.049), a BMI > 25 kg/m2 (p =.008), a standard foam mattress type (p =.017) and increased length of stay (p <.001) were associated with an increased pressure injury risk according to subepidermal oedema. Participants with increased sacral skin temperature (p <.001), mechanical ventilation (p <.001), vasoactive drugs administered (p =.003), increased sequential organ failure assessment score (p =.047), neurovascular diagnosis (p =.031) and increased length of stay (p =.027) were associated with increased pressure injury risk according to the Braden scale score.

CONCLUSION

Body morphology and skin microclimate are associated with pressure injury risk during critical illness.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE

Subepidermal oedema was associated with a patient's shape, body mass index and mattress type, factors that directly influence the pressure loading and the skin, whereas the Braden scale was associated with sacral temperature and clinical measures of critical illness. Consideration of body morphology and skin microclimate in pressure injury risk assessment could lead to more specific prevention strategies targeting high risk patients.

Topography influences diurnal and seasonal microclimate fluctuations in hilly terrain environments of coastal California

Understanding the topographic basis for microclimatic variation remains fundamental to predicting the site level effects of warming air temperatures. Quantifying diurnal fluctuation and seasonal extremes in relation to topography offers insight into the potential relationship between site level conditions and changes in regional climate. The present study investigated an annual understory temperature regime for 50 sites distributed across a topographically diverse area (>12 km2) comprised of mixed evergreen-deciduous woodland vegetation typical of California coastal ranges. We investigated the effect of topography and tree cover on site-to-site variation in near-surface temperatures using a combination of multiple linear regression and multivariate techniques. Sites in topographically depressed areas (e.g., valley bottoms) exhibited larger seasonal and diurnal variation. Elevation (at 10 m resolution) was found to be the primary driver of daily and seasonal variations, in addition to hillslope position, canopy cover and northness. The elevation effect on seasonal mean temperatures was inverted, reflecting large-scale cold-air pooling in the study region, with elevated minimum and mean temperature at higher elevations. Additionally, several of our sites showed considerable buffering (dampened diurnal and seasonal temperature fluctuations) compared to average regional conditions measured at an on-site weather station. Results from this study help inform efforts to extrapolate temperature records across large landscapes and have the potential to improve our ecological understanding of fine-scale seasonal climate variation in coastal range environments.

Impact of coppicing on microclimate and understorey vegetation diversity in an ancient Mediterranean oak forest

Coppicing is one of the oldest silvicultural practices and is still widely applied to produce renewable energy from broadleaf forests. However, the consequences on microclimate and understorey vegetation are still poorly understood, especially in Mediterranean oak forests. With the ongoing changes in the climate system and global biodiversity loss, a better understanding of how the forest temperature buffering capacity and below-canopy plant community are impacted by coppicing is crucial. Here we quantify microclimate and understorey vegetation changes in adjacent ancient coppice-with-standards and high forest stands dominated by oaks in Italy, where these systems have been applied for a long time. Air and soil temperatures were recorded for 2.5 years, and nested vegetation plots were used to analyse coppicing effects on species composition, taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity. Coppicing significantly reduced the forest temperature buffering capacity. The mean of the daily maximum temperatures over the entire period was 1.45 °C higher in the coppiced sites, whereas the mean of the daily minimum temperatures was 0.62 °C lower than in the high forest. Coppicing increased understorey species richness by favouring generalist taxa, but significantly decreased the proportion of forest specialists. The understorey community in coppiced forests consisted of more warm-adapted species. Moreover, coppicing also led to a loss of phylogenetic evenness and to shifts in diversity and community weighted mean Leaf Dry Matter content, pointing to habitat filtering and acclimation processes. In sum, we show that coppicing affects microclimate and understory vegetation in a direction that can exacerbate the effects of climate change, negatively affecting the oak forest specialist flora and its phylogenetic evenness.

Susceptibility and exposure risk to airborne aerosols in intra-urban microclimate: Evidence from subway system of mega-cities

The health of intra-urban population in modern megacities relies largely on the biosafety within the microclimate of subway system, which can be vulnerable to epidemical challenges brought by virus-laden bioaerosols under varying factors. The literature has yet to address the association between the exposure risks to infectious pathogens and the dynamic changes of boundary conditions in this densely populated microclimate. This study aims at characterizing the bioaerosol dispersion, evaluating the exposure risks under various train arrival scenarios and hazard releasing positions in a real-world double-decker subway station. The results provide the evidence for the dominating airflow pattern, bioaerosols dispersion behaviors, exposure risk, and evacuation guidance in a representative microclimate of mega-cities. The tunnel effects of nearby pedestrian passageways are found to be dominating the airflow pattern, leading to the discharging of airborne bioaerosols. At least 60 % increasing of discharging rate of bioaerosol is attributed to the arrival of one or two trains at the subway platform compared with the scenario with no train arriving. Results from risk assessment with improved Wells-Riley model estimate 57.62 % of maximum infectivity probability with no train arriving. Large areas near the source at the platform floor still cannot be considered safe within 20 min. For the other two scenarios where trains arrive at the platform, the maximum probability of infection is below 5 %. Moreover, the majority of train carriages can be regarded as safe zones, as the ventilation across the screen door are mostly directed towards the platform. Additionally, releasing the bioaerosols at the platform floor poses the most severe threats to human health, and the corresponding evacuation strategies are suggested. These findings offer practical guidance for the design of the intra-urban microclimate, reinforcing the need for exposure reduction device or contingency plans, and providing potential evacuation strategy towards improved health outcomes.

Multiple drivers of functional diversity in temperate forest understories: Climate, soil, and forest structure effects

In macroecology, shifting from coarse- to local-scale explanatory factors is crucial for understanding how global change impacts functional diversity (FD). Plants possess diverse traits allowing them to differentially respond across a spectrum of environmental conditions. We aim to assess how macro- to microclimate, stand-scale measured soil properties, forest structure, and management type, influence forest understorey FD at the macroecological scale. Our study covers Italian forests, using thirteen predictors categorized into climate, soil, forest structure, and management. We analyzed five traits (i.e., specific leaf area, plant size, seed mass, belowground bud bank size, and clonal lateral spread) capturing independent functional dimensions to calculate the standardized effect size of functional diversity (SES-FD) for all traits (multi-trait) and for single traits. Multiple regression models were applied to assess the effect of predictors on SES-FD. We revealed that climate, soil, and forest structure significantly drive SES-FD of specific leaf area, plant size, seed mass, and bud bank. Forest management had a limited effect. However, differences emerged between herbaceous and woody growth forms of the understorey layer, with herbaceous species mainly responding to climate and soil features, while woody species were mainly affected by forest structure. Future warmer and more seasonal climate could reduce the diversity of resource economics, plant size, and persistence strategies of the forest understorey. Soil eutrophication and acidification may impact the diversity of regeneration strategies; canopy closure affects the diversity of above- and belowground traits, with a larger effect on woody species. Multifunctional approaches are vital to disentangle the effect of global changes on functional diversity since independent functional specialization axes are modulated by different drivers.

Microclimate modulation: An overlooked mechanism influencing the impact of plant diversity on ecosystem functioning

Changes in climate and biodiversity are widely recognized as primary global change drivers of ecosystem structure and functioning, also affecting ecosystem services provided to human populations. Increasing plant diversity not only enhances ecosystem functioning and stability but also mitigates climate change effects and buffers extreme weather conditions, yet the underlying mechanisms remain largely unclear. Recent studies have shown that plant diversity can mitigate climate change (e.g. reduce temperature fluctuations or drought through microclimatic effects) in different compartments of the focal ecosystem, which as such may contribute to the effect of plant diversity on ecosystem properties and functioning. However, these potential plant diversity-induced microclimate effects are not sufficiently understood. Here, we explored the consequences of climate modulation through microclimate modification by plant diversity for ecosystem functioning as a potential mechanism contributing to the widely documented biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF) relationships, using a combination of theoretical and simulation approaches. We focused on a diverse set of response variables at various levels of integration ranging from ecosystem-level carbon exchange to soil enzyme activity, including population dynamics and the activity of specific organisms. Here, we demonstrated that a vegetation layer composed of many plant species has the potential to influence ecosystem functioning and stability through the modification of microclimatic conditions, thus mitigating the negative impacts of climate extremes on ecosystem functioning. Integrating microclimatic processes (e.g. temperature, humidity and light modulation) as a mechanism contributing to the BEF relationships is a promising avenue to improve our understanding of the effects of climate change on ecosystem functioning and to better predict future ecosystem structure, functioning and services. In addition, microclimate management and monitoring should be seen as a potential tool by practitioners to adapt ecosystems to climate change.

Downed woody debris carbon emissions in a European temperate virgin forest as driven by species, decay classes, diameter and microclimate

Downed woody debris (DWD) plays an important role as regulator of nutrient and carbon (C) cycling in forests, accounting for up to the 20 % of the total C stocks in primary forests. DWD persistence is highly influenced by microbial decomposition, which is determined by various environmental factors, including fluctuations in temperature and moisture, as well as in intrinsic DWD properties determined by species, diameter, or decay classes (DCs). The relative importance of these different drivers, as well as their interactions, remains largely unknown. Moreover, the importance of DWD for C cycling in virgin forests remains poorly understood, due to their scarcity and poor accessibility. To address this research gap, we conducted a study on DWD respiration (RDWD), in a temperate virgin forest dominated by European beech and silver fir. Our investigation analysed the correlation between RDWD of these two dominant tree species and the seasonal changes in climate (temperature and moisture), considering other intrinsic DWD traits such as DCs (1, 2 and 4) and diameters (1, 10 and 25 cm). As anticipated, RDWD (normalized per gram of dry DWD) increased with air temperature. Surprisingly, DWD diameter also had a strong positive correlation with RDWD. Nonetheless, the sensitivity to both variables and other intrinsic traits (DC and density) was greatly modulated by the species. On the contrary, water content, which exhibited a considerable spatial variation, had an overall negative effect on RDWD. Virgin forests are generally seen as ineffective C sinks due to their lack of net productivity and high respiration and nutrient turnover. However, the rates of RDWD in this virgin forest were significantly lower than those previously estimated for managed forests. This suggests that DWD in virgin forests may be buffering forest CO2 emissions to the atmosphere more than previously thought.

Study of summer microclimate and PM2.5 concentration in campus plant communities

Understanding the influencing effect of meteorological factors and air pollutants in the campus plot and the relationship between them is an important topic in the planning and design of campus green space. The changes of pollutant concentrations and meteorological factors in campus green space have certain patterns and specific influencing factors. In this study, we selected four sample plots in Nanjing Forestry University as the research objects, and collected various environmental parameters of the four plots on July 25, 2022. The results showed that the main influences of meteorological factors are the type of the underlying surface of the site, the degree of plant canopy density and the shade coverage area of the building. These factors mainly have a great influence on the value of temperature and humidity. The comprehensive influencing factors can be concluded that the cooling and humidifying effect of the site is ranked as follows: forest > lawn > asphalt road > concrete Square. The main influencing factors of pollutants are: illumination, wind speed, temperature and relative humidity. Among them, illumination and temperature have a negative correlation with PM2.5, wind speed and relative humidity have a positive correlation with PM2.5. Our research shows that the adjustment of campus green space factors can reduce the concentration of pollutants by changing the meteorological factors.

Understanding how environmental degradation, microclimate, and management shape honey production across different spatial scales

Although the abundance, survival, and pollination performance of honeybees are sensitive to changes in habitat and climate conditions, the processes by which these effects are transmitted to honey production and interact with beekeeping management are not completely understood. Climate change, habitat degradation, and beekeeping management affect honey yields, and may also interact among themselves resulting in indirect effects across spatial scales. We conducted a 2-year, multi-scale study on Chiloe Island (northern Patagonia), where we evaluated the most relevant environmental and management drivers of honey produced by stationary beekeepers. We found that the effects of microclimate, habitat, and management variables changed with the spatial scale. Among the environmental variables, minimum temperature, and cover of the invasive shrub, gorse (Ulex europaeus) had the strongest detrimental impacts on honey production at spatial scales finer than 4 km. Specialized beekeepers who adopted conventional beekeeping and had more mother colonies were more productive. Mean and minimum temperatures interacted with the percentage of mother colonies, urban cover, and beekeeping income. The gorse cover increased by the combination of high temperatures and the expansion of urban lands, while landscape attributes, such as Eucalyptus plantation cover, influenced beekeeping management. Results suggest that higher temperatures change the available forage or cause thermal stress to honeybees, while invasive shrubs are indicators of degraded habitats. Climate change and habitat degradation are two interrelated environmental phenomena whose effects on beekeeping can be mitigated through adaptive management and habitat restoration.

Regulation of microclimate and shading effects of microalgal photobioreactors on rooftops: Microalgae as a promising emergent for green roof technology

Urban areas remarkably affect global public health due to their emissions of greenhouse gases and poor air quality. Although urban areas only cover 2% of the Earth's surface, they are responsible for 80% of greenhouse gas emissions. Dense buildings limit vegetation, leading to increased air pollution and disruption of the local and regional carbon cycle. The substitution of urban gray roofs with microalgal green roofs has the potential to improve the carbon cycle by sequestering CO2 from the atmosphere. Microalgae can fix 15-50 times more CO2 than other types of vegetation. Advanced microalgal-based green roof technology may significantly accelerate the reduction of atmospheric CO2 in a more effective way. Microalgal green roofs also enhance air quality, oxygen production, acoustic isolation, sunlight absorption, and biomass production. This endeavor yields the advantage of simultaneously generating protein, lipids, vitamins, and a spectrum of valuable bioactive compounds, including astaxanthin, carotenoids, polysaccharides, and phycocyanin, thus contributing to a green economy. The primary focus of the current work is on analyzing the ecological advantages and CO2 bio-fixation efficiency attained through microalgal cultivation on urban rooftops. This study also briefly examines the idea of green roofs, clarifies the ecological benefits associated with them, discusses the practice of growing microalgae on rooftops, identifies the difficulties involved, and the positive aspects of this novel strategy.

Cliff-edge forests: Xerothermic hotspots of local biodiversity and models for future climate change

Cliffs are remarkable environments that enable the existence of microclimates. These small, isolated sites, decoupled from the regional macroclimate, play a significant role in maintaining species biodiversity, particularly in topographically homogeneous landscapes. Our study investigated the microclimate of south-exposed forests situated at the edge of sandstone cliffs in the western part of the North Alpine Foreland Basin in Switzerland and its role in local forest community composition. Using direct measurements from data loggers, as well as vegetation analyses, it was possible to quantify the microclimate of the cliff-edge forests and compare it with that of the surrounding forests. Our results highlighted the significant xerothermic and more variable nature of the cliff-edge forest microclimate, with a mean soil temperature up to 3.72°C warmer in the summer, higher annual (+28%) and daily (+250%) amplitudes of soil temperature, which frequently expose vegetation to extreme temperatures, and an 83% higher soil drying rate. These differences have a distinct influence on forest communities: cliff-edge forests are significantly different from surrounding forests. The site particularities of cliff edges support the presence of locally rare species and forest types, particularly of Scots pine. Cliff edges must therefore be considered microrefugia with a high conservation value for both xerothermic species and flora adapted to more continental climates. Moreover, the microclimate of cliff-edge forests could resemble the future climate in many ways. We argue that these small areas, which are already experiencing the future climate, can be seen as natural laboratories to better answer the following question: what will our forests look like in a few decades with accelerated climate change?

The functional microclimate of an urban arthropod pest: Urban heat island temperatures in webs of the western black widow spider

Urbanization alters natural landscapes and creates unique challenges for urban wildlife. Similarly, the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect can produce significantly elevated temperatures in urban areas, and we have a relatively poor understanding of how this will impact urban biodiversity. In particular, most studies quantify the UHI using broad-scale climate data rather than assessing microclimate temperatures actually experienced by organisms. In addition, studies often fail to address spatial and temporal complexities of the UHI. Here we examine the thermal microclimate and UHI experienced in the web of Western black widow spiders (Latrodectus hesperus), a medically-important, superabundant urban pest species found in cities across the Western region of North America. We do this using replicate urban and desert populations across an entire year to account for seasonal variation in the UHI, both within and between habitats. Our findings reveal a strong nighttime, but no daytime, UHI effect, with urban spider webs being 2-5 °C warmer than desert webs at night. This UHI effect is most prominent during the spring and least prominent in winter, suggesting that the UHI need not be most pronounced when temperatures are most elevated. Urban web temperatures varied among urban sites in the daytime, whereas desert web temperatures varied among desert sites in the nighttime. Finally, web temperature was significantly positively correlated with a spider's boldness, but showed no relationship with voracity towards prey, web size, or body condition. Understanding the complexities of each organism's thermal challenges, the "functional microclimate", is crucial for predicting the impacts of urbanization and climate change on urban biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.

Microclimate, airborne particles, and microbiological monitoring protocol for conservation of rock-art caves: The case of the world-heritage site La Garma cave (Spain)

Cave heritage is often threatened by tourism or even scientific activities, which can lead to irreversible deterioration. We present a preventive conservation monitoring protocol to protect caves with rock art, focusing on La Garma Cave (Spain), a World Heritage Site with valuable archaeological materials and Palaeolithic paintings. This study assessed the suitability of the cave for tourist use through continuous microclimate and airborne particles monitoring, biofilm analysis, aerobiological monitoring and experimental visits. Our findings indicate several factors that make it inadvisable to adapt the cave for tourist use. Human presence and transit within the cave cause cumulative effects on the temperature of environmentally very stable and fragile sectors and significant resuspension of particles from the cave sediments. These environmental perturbations represent severe impacts as they affect the natural aerodynamic control of airborne particles and determine bacterial dispersal throughout the cave. This monitoring protocol provides part of the evidence to design strategies for sustainable cave management.

Is it getting hot in here? The effects of VR headset microclimate temperature on perceived thermal discomfort, VR sickness, and skin temperature

Thermal discomfort is a driver of negative user experiences with modern VR headsets since they are similar to head-worn gaming computers. Here, we examined the effect of microclimate temperature (MCT; i.e., the air between headset and user) and the effect of standing and seated use on thermal discomfort for a goggle style headset. Users played VR games across three 48-min sessions with different thermal profiles ranging between 28°-43 °C. Perceived thermal and weight discomfort were rated by participants every 12-min. Thermal, but not weight comfort declined during the study period as MCT increased. Users sweat more and had greater forehead temperatures while standing with the lowest thermal profile, suggesting thermal management is more critical for active experiences. Overall, this study recommends MCT should be kept below 36 °C. Finally design for thermal comfort should be tailored to the individual, experience duration and activity level.

Assessment of vertical cooling performance of trees over different surface covers

Tree-induced cooling benefits are associated with various factors, such as canopy morphology, surface cover, and environmental configuration. However, limited studies have analyzed the sensitivity of tree-induced cooling effects to the combination of such factors. Most studies have focused on 1.5-m cooling performance, and few studies on the variability of the under-tree vertical cooling performance. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the vertical cooling performance of different combinations of trees and surface covers. The study was completed in Chongqing, China, with field experiments capturing vertical air temperature and wind speed at 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 m under two typical combinations of "tree + grass" (ComA) and "tree + shrubs" (ComB), and capturing 1.5 m microclimatic environments of a control group with hard pavement without tree shade (REF). The results show that at an average ambient temperature of 33 °C, the maximum air-cooling temperatures for ComA and ComB were 2.46 °C and 1.78 °C, respectively. An increase in the ambient temperature corresponded to a decrease in the cooling effect difference between ComA and ComB. ComA had a maximum vertical temperature difference of 1.01 °C between H1.5m and H2.0m. Between H2.5m and H2.0m, the maximum vertical temperature difference for ComB was 1.64 °C. This study explored the changing patterns of under-tree vertical temperatures under different tree and surface cover combinations, conducive to clarifying the key elements affecting tree cooling performance. The results have implications for accurate thermal comfort assessments and provide a theoretical basis for fine-tuning the design of under-tree spaces.

Microclimate reveals the true thermal niche of forest plant species

Species distributions are conventionally modelled using coarse-grained macroclimate data measured in open areas, potentially leading to biased predictions since most terrestrial species reside in the shade of trees. For forest plant species across Europe, we compared conventional macroclimate-based species distribution models (SDMs) with models corrected for forest microclimate buffering. We show that microclimate-based SDMs at high spatial resolution outperformed models using macroclimate and microclimate data at coarser resolution. Additionally, macroclimate-based models introduced a systematic bias in modelled species response curves, which could result in erroneous range shift predictions. Critically important for conservation science, these models were unable to identify warm and cold refugia at the range edges of species distributions. Our study emphasizes the crucial role of microclimate data when SDMs are used to gain insights into biodiversity conservation in the face of climate change, particularly given the growing policy and management focus on the conservation of refugia worldwide.

Behavioral preference for microclimate conditions across elevation in Plethodon montanus

The ability to behaviorally regulate body conditions is critical for ectotherms, particularly in the face of global climate change when seeking stable refugia in a changing environment could facilitate survival. This is especially important for montane species that are limited to high elevations. In the Northern Gray-cheeked salamander (Plethodon montanus), studies have demonstrated that population demographics improve at higher elevations and physiological constraints may prevent them from moving into lower-elevation habitats. However, little is known about the species' ability to utilize microhabitats and behaviorally regulate by selecting preferable microclimates. Here, we used continuous position-sensing gradient chambers to examine the behavioral preference for temperature and relative humidity (RH) in P. montanus to better understand their microhabitat use and behavioral thermoregulation across an elevation gradient. We investigated the seasonal variation in both thermal and RH preference of P. montanus collected from different elevations. Our results suggest that most recently experienced environmental temperatures influence thermal preference in animals at high elevations but not those at lower elevations. Salamanders preferred the highest available RH conditions regardless of environmental conditions or elevation. Data on shuttling behavior (movement across the behavior arena) from the experiments suggest that while salamanders shuttled a similar number of times in both types of trials, they spent significantly less time exploring when exposed to the RH gradient compared to the thermal gradient. Together these results suggest that while thermal preference is influenced by acclimation, preference for moisture conditions is less elastic.

Soil Microclimate and Persistence of Foodborne Pathogens Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella enterica Newport in Soil Affected by Mulch Type

Mulching is a common agricultural practice that benefits crop production through soil moisture retention, weed suppression, and soil temperature regulation. However, little is known about the effect of mulch on foodborne pathogens present in soil. In this study, the influence of polyethylene plastic, biodegradable corn-based plastic, paper, and straw mulches on Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella enterica Newport populations in soil was investigated. Silt loam soil in troughs was inoculated with a cocktail of the pathogens and covered with mulch or left bare, then incubated for 21 days, during which bacteria were enumerated and environmental parameters monitored. Bacterial counts declined in all treatments over time (p < 0.001) but persisted at 21 days at 0.8-0.95 log CFU/g. Pathogens also declined as a factor of mulch cover (p < 0.01). An exponential decay with asymptote model fit to the data revealed slower rates of decline in soil under mulches for all pathogens (p < 0.05) relative to bare soil. Compared to the average for all treatments, rates of decay in bare soil were 0.60 (p < 0.001), 0.45 (p < 0.05), and 0.63 (p < 0.001) log CFU/g/d for E. coli O157:H7, L. monocytogenes, and Salmonella, respectively. Linear multiple regression revealed that soil hydrological parameters were positively correlated (p < 0.05) with bacterial counts, while day soil temperatures were negatively correlated (p < 0.001), suggesting that higher day temperatures and lower moisture content of bare soil contributed to the faster decline of pathogens compared to mulched soil. A microcosm experiment using field soil from lettuce cultivation suggested no influence of prior mulch treatment on pathogens. In summary, pathogen decline in soil was modified by the soil microclimate created under mulch covers, but the effect appeared was restricted to the time of soil cover. Slower decline rates of pathogens in mulched soil may pose a risk for contamination of fresh market produce crops.

Performance evaluation and users' perception of courtyards role in indoor areas of mediterranean social housing

Cities confront two critical challenges: general overheating and inefficient use of energy resources within their housing buildings, both adversely affecting urban citizens' daily lives. To mitigate these issues, passive techniques offer promising solutions on enhancing building comfort levels from a sustainable approach. Although this energy efficiency of air-conditioning systems in buildings in warm climates has been extensively analysed, the influence of the microclimate of transitional spaces attached to them on this performance has not yet been properly assessed. Investigating the potential benefits of the implementation of courtyards within Seville's social housing infrastructure for passive conditioning purposes is one way of reducing this research gap. Furthermore, the study also includes the subjective perception of users' thermal well-being around these spaces and their own social relationship related to their use. The work relies on detailed data analyses carried out using DesignBuilder software to quantify the benefit effectively accrued from courtyard utilization. Concurrently, user surveys conducted help determine perceived thermal comfort aiding better configuration management and passive design strategies of urban social housing. Findings from monitoring and simulation reveal that courtyards work faultlessly as a highly effective and efficient passive cooling system whilst promoting energy efficiency up to 20,5%. Surveys confirmed these findings with data revealing significant improvements in thermal comforts perception inside courtyards and within indoor spaces adjacent to the courtyards. This research provides novel insights into how architects and urban managers might integrate passive strategies into future designs for optimizing comfort levels in social housing using courtyards as one possible environmental measure for achieving sustainability targets.

Sub-regional variation in atmospheric and land variables regulates tea yield in the Dooars region of West Bengal, India

Climatic variables can have localized variations within a region and these localized climate patterns can have significant effect on production of climate-sensitive crops such as tea. Even though tea cultivation and industries significantly contribute to employment generation and foreign earnings of several South Asian nations including India, sub-regional differences in the effects of climatic and soil variables on tea yield have remained unexplored since past studies focused on a tea-producing region as a whole and did not account for local agro-climatic conditions. Here, using a garden-level panel dataset based on tea gardens of Dooars region, a prominent tea-producing region in India, we explored how sub-regional variations in climatic and land variables might differently affect tea yield within a tea-producing region. Our analysis showed that the Dooars region harboured significant spatial variability for different climatic (temperature, precipitation, surface solar radiation) and soil temperature variables. Using graph-based Louvain clustering of tea gardens, we identified four spatial sub-regions which varied in terms of topography, annual and seasonal distribution of climatic and land variables and tea yield. Our sub-region-specific panel regression analyses revealed differential effects of climatic and land variables on tea yield of different sub-regions. Finally, for different emission scenario, we also projected future (2025-2100) tea yield in each sub-region based on predictions of climatic variables from three GCMs (MIROC5, CCSM4 and CESM1(CAM5)). A large variation in future seasonal production changes was projected across sub-regions (-23.4-35.7% changes in premonsoon, -4.2-3.1% changes in monsoon and -10.9-10.7% changes in postmonsoon tea production, respectively).

Holopelagic Sargassum aggregations provide warmer microhabitats for associated fauna

Drifting aggregations of Sargassum algae provide critical habitat for endemic, endangered, and commercially important species. They may also provide favorable microclimates for associated fauna. To quantify thermal characteristics of holopelagic Sargassum aggregations, we evaluated thermal profiles of 50 aggregations in situ in the Sargasso Sea. Sea surface temperature (SST) in the center of aggregations was significantly higher than in nearby open water, and SST differential was independent of aggregation volume, area, and thickness. SST differential between aggregation edge and open water was smaller than those between aggregation center and aggregation edge and between aggregation center and open water. Water temperature was significantly higher inside and below aggregations compared to open water but did not vary inside aggregations with depth. Holopelagic Sargassum aggregations provide warmer microhabitats for associated fauna, which may benefit marine ectotherms, though temperature differentials were narrow (up to 0.7 °C) over the range of aggregation sizes we encountered (area 0.01-15 m2). We propose a hypothetical curve describing variation in SST differential with Sargassum aggregation size as a prediction for future studies to evaluate across temporal and geographic ranges. Our study provides a foundation for investigating the importance of thermal microhabitats in holopelagic Sargassum ecosystems.

Microclimate stability on the critical zone of a karst hillslope in southwest China: Insights from continuous temperature observations at the air-soil-epikarst interface

Temperature is an important near-surface microclimate parameter that plays a key role in hydrological, ecological, and biogeochemical functions. However, the spatio-temporal distribution of temperature on the invisible and inaccessible soil-weathered bedrock continuum, wherein hydrothermal processes are most active, remains poorly understood. Temperature dynamics were monitored at 5 min intervals in the air-soil-epikarst (∼3 m) system at different topographical positions of the karst peak-cluster depression in southwest China. The weathering intensity was characterized based on the physicochemical properties of samples collected through drilling. No significant difference was observed in air temperature across slope positions, which was related to the limited distance and elevation resulting in roughly consistent energy input. The control effect of air temperature on the soil-epikarst was weakened with the decrease in elevation (±0.36 to ±0.25 °C). It is attributed to the enhanced temperature regulation capacity of vegetation cover from the up slope (shrub dominant) to down slope (tree dominant) in a relatively uniform energy environment. Temperature stability is clearly distinguished in two adjacent hillslopes that were differentiated by weathering intensity. For every 1 °C change in the ambient temperature, the amplitude of soil-epikasrt temperature variation on the strongly and weakly weathered hillslopes were ±0.28 and ± 0.32 °C, respectively. The response of soil-epikarst temperature to ambient temperature was more sensitive in the wet season (±0.40 °C) than in the dry season (±0.20 °C), which was related to the cooling effect caused by abundant rainfall. The cooling effect was particularly prominent in the preferential flow development area composed of pipeline cracks, which appear in the hillslope with relatively weak weathering intensity. These demonstrate that soil-epikarst temperature responds more gently to the variability of rainfall and ambient temperature on a relatively strong weathered hillslope. Accordingly, this study highlights that the sensitivity of soil-epikarst temperature to climate change is regulated by vegetation and weathering intensity on karst hillslopes in southwest China.

Deforestation for oil palm increases microclimate suitability for the development of the disease vector Aedes albopictus

A major trade-off of land-use change is the potential for increased risk of infectious diseases, a.o. through impacting disease vector life-cycles. Evaluating the public health implications of land-use conversions requires spatially detailed modelling linking land-use to vector ecology. Here, we estimate the impact of deforestation for oil palm cultivation on the number of life-cycle completions of Aedes albopictus via its impact on local microclimates. We apply a recently developed mechanistic phenology model to a fine-scaled (50-m resolution) microclimate dataset that includes daily temperature, rainfall and evaporation. Results of this combined model indicate that the conversion from lowland rainforest to plantations increases suitability for A. albopictus development by 10.8%, moderated to 4.7% with oil palm growth to maturity. Deforestation followed by typical plantation planting-maturation-clearance-replanting cycles is predicted to create pulses of high development suitability. Our results highlight the need to explore sustainable land-use scenarios that resolve conflicts between agricultural and human health objectives.

The relationship between canopy microclimate, fruit and seed yield, and quality in Xanthoceras sorbifolium

Xanthoceras sorbifolium has high oil content and important biomass energy value, but its development is limited by the problem of low yield. This study investigated the relationship between the canopy microclimate, fruit yield, and fruit quality of Xanthoceras sorbifolium. Difference between the distributions of canopy microclimate factors as well as fruit and seed parameters in the inner and outer canopies of the lower layer, as well as between the inner and outer canopies of the upper layer, were investigated for a period of one year. Canopy structure induced significant differences between canopy microclimate factors during various periods of the year. Light intensity and temperature of the outer and upper canopies were higher than those of inner and lower canopies. However, relative humidity showed an opposing trend. Light intensity was significantly and positively correlated with fruit set percentage, fruit yield, and seed yield. Temperature was significantly and positively correlated with fruit yield and seed yield, but significantly negatively correlated with the oil concentration of seed kernels. Fruit and seed yields significantly decreased from the outer to the inner canopy and from the upper to the lower canopy. Fruit set percentage in the outer canopy was also significantly higher than that in the inner canopy. However, oil concentrations in the seed kernels of the lower layer were significantly higher than those of the upper layer. Additionally, regression analysis was used to construct evaluation models for microclimate, fruit, and seed parameters. Regression equations corresponding to the association between single microclimatic factors during different periods and the fruit and seed parameters may provide a reference for canopy pruning and help develop an optimal regression model that may be used to predict and estimate fruit and seed parameters.

Prediction of cooling effect of constant temperature community bin based on BP neural network

In order to explore the influence of outdoor microclimate on the cooling effect of constant temperature community bin, the temperature prediction model was predicted. The temperature and microclimate data sets of the community bin were collected in summer from May 2021 to September 2021. The climatic characteristics included cloudy and sunny conditions, and the environmental factors included outdoor temperature, air speed, air relative humidity, and solar radiation intensity. Stepwise regression method was used to test the significance of environmental factors, and the corresponding regression equation was obtained. BP neural network was used to establish temperature prediction models under cloudy and sunny conditions, respectively. The results showed that the coefficient of determination (R²) of the two models was above 0.8, and the environmental factors with significant influence were screened out. The root mean square error (RMSE) between the training value and the actual value established by BP neural network was 0.83 °C, and the determination coefficient (R²) was 0.968. Under sunny conditions, the root mean square error (RMSE) of predicted value and measured value was 0.65 °C, and the determination coefficient (R²) was 0.982. According to the analysis of the sample data, it showed that the BP neural network was more accurate than stepwise regression, and could be used to predict the temperature of community bin, which provided model basis for the practical application of intelligent temperature control community bin in summer.

Transcriptome dynamics of rice in natura: Response of above and below ground organs to microclimate

The long-term dynamics of the transcriptome under natural field conditions remain unclear. We conducted comprehensive gene expression analyses of rice leaves and roots grown under natural field conditions for a long period, from the tillering stage to the ripening stage. In this experiment, changes in the transcriptome were captured in relation to microclimatic parameters, particularly potential evaporation (Ep), which is a multiple meteorological factor and acts as an indicator of transpirational demand. The results indicated  that many genes were regulated by changes in temperature and Ep in both leaves and roots. Furthermore, the correlation between gene expression and meteorological factors differed significantly between the vegetative and reproductive stages. Since Ep triggers transpiration, we analyzed aquaporin gene expression, which is responsible for water transport, and found that many aquaporin genes in leaves were positively correlated with Ep throughout the growth period, whereas in roots, two plasma membrane intrinsic aquaporins, PIP2;4 and PIP2;5 were strongly correlated with Ep during reproductive growth. Other genes closely related to productivity, such as those involved in nutrient absorption and photosynthesis, exhibited different responses to meteorological factors at different growth stages. The stage-dependent shift in the microclimate response provides an important perspective on crop physiology in light of climate change.

Behavioural hydroregulation protects against acute effects of drought in a dry-skinned ectotherm

During extreme climate events, behavioural thermoregulation may buffer ectotherms from thermal stress and overheating. However, heatwaves are also combined with dry spells and limited water availability, and how much individuals can behaviourally mitigate dehydration risks through microclimate selection remains largely unknown. Herein, we investigated the behavioural and physiological responses to changes in air and microhabitat humidity in a terrestrial ectotherm, the asp viper (Vipera aspis). We exposed individuals to a simulated heatwave together with water deprivation for 3 weeks, and manipulated air water vapour density (wet air vs. dry air) and microclimate (wet shelter vs. dry shelter) in a two-by-two factorial design. Dry air conditions led to substantial physiological dehydration and muscle wasting. Vipers exposed to dry air used more often a shelter that offered a moist microclimate, which reduced dehydration and muscle wasting at the individual level. These results provide the first experimental evidence that active behavioural hydroregulation can mitigate specific physiological stress responses caused by a dry spell in an ectotherm. Future studies investigating organismal responses to climate change should consider moisture gradient in the habitat and integrate both hydroregulation and thermoregulation behaviours.

Bridging the gap between microclimate and microrefugia: A bottom-up approach reveals strong climatic and biological offsets

In the context of global warming, a clear understanding of microrefugia-microsites enabling the survival of species populations outside their main range limits-is crucial. Several studies have identified forcing factors that are thought to favor the existence of microrefugia. However, there is a lack of evidence to conclude whether, and to what extent, the climate encountered within existing microrefugia differs from the surrounding climate. To investigate this, we adopt a "bottom-up" approach, linking marginal disconnected populations to microclimate. We used the southernmost disconnected and abyssal populations of the circumboreal herbaceous plant Oxalis acetosella in Southern France to study whether populations in sites matching the definition of "microrefugia" occur in particularly favorable climatic conditions compared to neighboring control plots located at distances of between 50 to 100 m. Temperatures were recorded in putative microrefugia and in neighboring plots for approximately 2 years to quantify their thermal offsets. Vascular plant inventories were carried out to test whether plant communities also reflect microclimatic offsets. We found that current microclimatic dynamics are genuinely at stake in microrefugia. Microrefugia climates are systematically colder compared to those found in neighboring control plots. This pattern was more noticeable during the summer months. Abyssal populations showed stronger offsets compared to neighboring plots than the putative microrefugia occurring at higher altitudes. Plant communities demonstrate this strong spatial climatic variability, even at such a microscale approach, as species compositions systematically differed between the two plots, with species more adapted to colder and moister conditions in microrefugia compared to the surrounding area.

Plant-Wear: A Multi-Sensor Plant Wearable Platform for Growth and Microclimate Monitoring

Wearable devices are widely spreading in various scenarios for monitoring different parameters related to human and recently plant health. In the context of precision agriculture, wearables have proven to be a valuable alternative to traditional measurement methods for quantitatively monitoring plant development. This study proposed a multi-sensor wearable platform for monitoring the growth of plant organs (i.e., stem and fruit) and microclimate (i.e., environmental temperature-T and relative humidity-RH). The platform consists of a custom flexible strain sensor for monitoring growth when mounted on a plant and a commercial sensing unit for monitoring T and RH values of the plant surrounding. A different shape was conferred to the strain sensor according to the plant organs to be engineered. A dumbbell shape was chosen for the stem while a ring shape for the fruit. A metrological characterization was carried out to investigate the strain sensitivity of the proposed flexible sensors and then preliminary tests were performed in both indoor and outdoor scenarios to assess the platform performance. The promising results suggest that the proposed system can be considered one of the first attempts to design wearable and portable systems tailored to the specific plant organ with the potential to be used for future applications in the coming era of digital farms and precision agriculture.

Thermal sensitivity across forest vertical profiles: patterns, mechanisms, and ecological implications

Rising temperatures are influencing forests on many scales, with potentially strong variation vertically across forest strata. Using published research and new analyses, we evaluate how microclimate and leaf temperatures, traits, and gas exchange vary vertically in forests, shaping tree, and ecosystem ecology. In closed-canopy forests, upper canopy leaves are exposed to the highest solar radiation and evaporative demand, which can elevate leaf temperature (T_leaf ), particularly when transpirational cooling is curtailed by limited stomatal conductance. However, foliar traits also vary across height or light gradients, partially mitigating and protecting against the elevation of upper canopy T_leaf . Leaf metabolism generally increases with height across the vertical gradient, yet differences in thermal sensitivity across the gradient appear modest. Scaling from leaves to trees, canopy trees have higher absolute metabolic capacity and growth, yet are more vulnerable to drought and damaging T_leaf than their smaller counterparts, particularly under climate change. By contrast, understory trees experience fewer extreme high T_leaf 's but have fewer cooling mechanisms and thus may be strongly impacted by warming under some conditions, particularly when exposed to a harsher microenvironment through canopy disturbance. As the climate changes, integrating the patterns and mechanisms reviewed here into models will be critical to forecasting forest-climate feedback.

Individual reflectance of solar radiation confers a thermoregulatory benefit to dimorphic males bees (Centris pallida) using distinct microclimates

Incoming solar radiation (wavelengths 290-2500 nm) significantly affects an organism's thermal balance via radiative heat gain. Species adapted to different environments can differ in solar reflectance profiles. We hypothesized that conspecific individuals using thermally distinct microhabitats to engage in fitness-relevant behaviors would show intraspecific differences in reflectance: we predicted individuals that use hot microclimates (where radiative heat gain represents a greater thermoregulatory challenge) would be more reflective across the entire solar spectrum than those using cooler microclimates. Differences in near-infrared (NIR) reflectance (700-2500 nm) are strongly indicative of thermoregulatory adaptation as, unlike differences in visible reflectance (400-700 nm), they are not perceived by ecological or social partners. We tested these predictions in male Centris pallida (Hymenoptera: Apidae) bees from the Sonoran Desert. Male C. pallida use alternative reproductive tactics that are associated with distinct microclimates: Large-morph males, with paler visible coloration, behave in an extremely hot microclimate close to the ground, while small-morph males, with a dark brown dorsal coloration, frequently use cooler microclimates above the ground near vegetation. We found that large-morph males had higher reflectance of solar radiation (UV through NIR) resulting in lower solar absorption coefficients. This thermoregulatory adaptation was specific to the dorsal surface, and produced by differences in hair, not cuticle, characteristics. Our results showed that intraspecific variation in behavior, particular in relation to microclimate use, can generate unique thermal adaptations that changes the reflectance of shortwave radiation among individuals within the same population.

Variation in Larval Thermal Tolerance of Three Saproxylic Beetle Species

Temperature is a key abiotic condition that limits the distributions of organisms, and forest insects are particularly sensitive to thermal extremes. Whereas winged adult insects generally are able to escape unfavorable temperatures, other less-vagile insects (e.g., larvae) must withstand local microclimatic conditions to survive. Here, we measured the thermal tolerance of the larvae of three saproxylic beetle species that are common inhabitants of coarse woody debris (CWD) in temperate forests of eastern North America: Lucanus elaphus Fabricius (Lucanidae), Dendroides canadensis Latreille (Pyrochroidae), and Odontotaenius disjunctus Illiger (Passalidae). We determined how their critical thermal maxima (CTmax) vary with body size (mass), and measured the thermal profiles of CWD representing the range of microhabitats occupied by these species. Average CTmax differed among the three species and increased with mass intraspecifically. However, mass was not a good predictor of thermal tolerance among species. Temperature ramp rate and time in captivity also influenced larval CTmax, but only for D. canadensis and L. elaphus respectively. Heating profiles within relatively dry CWD sometimes exceeded the CTmax of the beetle larvae, and deeper portions of CWD were generally cooler. Interspecific differences in CTmax were not fully explained by microhabitat association, but the results suggest that the distribution of some species within a forest can be affected by local thermal extremes. Understanding the responses of saproxylic beetle larvae to warming habitats will help predict shifts in community structure and ecosystem functioning in light of climate change and increasing habitat fragmentation.

Analysis of the Interior Microclimate in Art Nouveau Heritage Buildings for the Protection of Exhibits and Human Health

Poor air quality inside museums can have a double effect; on the one hand, influencing the integrity of the exhibits and on the other hand, endangering the health of employees and visitors. Both components can be very sensitive to the influence of the internal microclimate, therefore careful monitoring of the physical parameters and pollutants is required in order to maintain them within strict limits and thus to reduce the hazards that can be induced. The current study considers the determination and analysis of 15 indicators of the internal microclimate in an Art Nouveau museum built at the beginning of the 20th century in the Municipality of Oradea, Romania. The monitoring spanned a period of seven months, between September 2021 and March 2022, targeting three rooms of the museum with different characteristics and containing exhibits with a high degree of fragility. The results show that, although there are numerous indicators that have exceeded the thresholds induced by international standards, the possible negative impact on the exhibits and/or on human health remains moderate. This is due to the fact that, most of the time, exceeding the permitted limits are small or only sporadic, the values quickly returning to the permitted limits. Thus, only 22 of the 212 days of monitoring recorded marginal conditions regarding the quality of the indoor air, the rest having acceptable and good conditions. To improve the indoor conditions, a more careful management is needed, especially regarding the values of temperature, humidity, particulate matters, natural and artificial light, volatile organic compounds (VOC) and formaldehyde (HCHO), which during the measurements recorded high values that fluctuated in a wide spectrum. The obtained results can represent the basis for the development and implementation of long-term strategies for stabilizing the microclimatic conditions in the museum in order to preserve the exhibits preventively and to ensure a clean and safe environment for people.

Forest structure and composition alleviate human thermal stress

Current climate change aggravates human health hazards posed by heat stress. Forests can locally mitigate this by acting as strong thermal buffers, yet potential mediation by forest ecological characteristics remains underexplored. We report over 14 months of hourly microclimate data from 131 forest plots across four European countries and compare these to open-field controls using physiologically equivalent temperature (PET) to reflect human thermal perception. Forests slightly tempered cold extremes, but the strongest buffering occurred under very hot conditions (PET >35°C), where forests reduced strong to extreme heat stress day occurrence by 84.1%. Mature forests cooled the microclimate by 12.1 to 14.5°C PET under, respectively, strong and extreme heat stress conditions. Even young plantations reduced those conditions by 10°C PET. Forest structure strongly modulated the buffering capacity, which was enhanced by increasing stand density, canopy height and canopy closure. Tree species composition had a more modest yet significant influence: that is, strongly shade-casting, small-leaved evergreen species amplified cooling. Tree diversity had little direct influences, though indirect effects through stand structure remain possible. Forests in general, both young and mature, are thus strong thermal stress reducers, but their cooling potential can be even further amplified, given targeted (urban) forest management that considers these new insights.

Considerations on environmental, economic, and energy impacts of wind energy generation: Projections towards sustainability initiatives

The energy sector contributes significantly to the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) due to the use of fossil fuels which leads to climate change problems. Worldwide, there is a shift from fossil fuel-based energy to cleaner energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass. Wind energy is one of the promising cleaner energy sources as it is feasible and cost-effective. However, the development of wind farms causes impacts on sustainability aspects. This article aims to review the impacts of wind energy generation on environmental, economic, and social aspects of sustainability and their mitigation strategies. The aim was achieved by reviewing recent research papers on different aspects of wind energy sustainability. The environmental impacts reviewed include the effects on avian life, noise pollution, visual impacts, microclimate and vegetation. Apart from environmental impacts, wind energy generation faces issues in energy and financial sustainability, such as the wind power fluctuation, technology lagging and use of fixed feed-in tariff contracts that do not consider wind energy advancement and end-of-life management. We discussed that turbine deterrents, automatic curtailment, low gloss blades and sustainable siting of wind farms as some of the effective ways to combat wind energy environmental impacts. In addition, we discussed that energy storage systems, setting up microgrids, combination of solar, wind and energy storage, and renewable energies policies are some of the ways to combat wind energy's economic and energy impacts. Lastly, the recommendations, and future perspectives on wind energy generation sustainability are discussed.

Emergency Department Visits and Summer Temperatures in Bologna, Northern Italy, 2010-2019: A Case-Crossover Study and Geographically Weighted Regression Methods

The aim of the study is to evaluate the association between summer temperatures and emergency department visits (EDVs) in Bologna (Italy) and assess whether this association varies across areas with different socioeconomic and microclimatic characteristics. We included all EDVs within Bologna residences during the summers of 2010-2019. Each subject is attributed a deprivation and a microclimatic discomfort index according to the residence. A time-stratified case-crossover design was conducted to estimate the risk of EDV associated with temperature and the effect modification of deprivation and microclimatic characteristics. In addition, a spatial analysis of data aggregated at the census block level was conducted by applying a Poisson and a geographically weighted Poisson regression model. For each unit increase in temperature above 26 °C, the risk of EDV increases by 0.4% (95%CI: 0.05-0.8). The temperature-EDV relationship is not modified by the microclimatic discomfort index but rather by the deprivation index. The spatial analysis shows that the EDV rate increases with deprivation homogeneously, while it diminishes with increases in median income and microclimatic discomfort, with differences across areas. In conclusion, in Bologna, the EDV risk associated with high temperatures is not very relevant overall, but it tends to increase in areas with a low socioeconomic level.

Research Progress and Hotspot Evolution Analysis of Landscape Microclimate: Visual Analysis Based on CNKI and WOS

With the increasing requirements of healthy habitat environments, landscape microclimates have been widely concerned. To comprehensively grasp the development history and research status of the landscape microclimates in China and other countries, CiteSpace software was used to comparatively analyze and visually present the literature related to landscape microclimates in CNKI and WOS databases for the past 20 years. The results show that: (1) The number of publications on landscape microclimate research shows an increasing trend in China and other countries, and the number of publications increased significantly after 2016. Although the number of publications by Chinese scholars is less than that of foreign scholars, they have developed rapidly in recent years, and their international influence has increased significantly. (2) A positive exchange has been formed among international scholars, and the number of collaborative studies has been increasing. China's microclimate research has formed relatively stable teams that have conducted numerous studies in the fields of urban communities, street greening, and plant communities, respectively. Although the links between research teams and institutions in China and other countries are relatively close, they still need to be further strengthened. (3) In the past decade, the theoretical system of landscape microclimates has been improved, and the research themes have become more concentrated, but it still has remained close to the early basic research. (4) Future research will remain centered on "mitigating the urban heat island effect" and "optimizing human heat perception". New topics such as "biodiversity", "carbon cycle", and "climate change" have been added. In conclusion, the research needs to continue to explore the evaluation system of microclimates and verify the evaluation index of outdoor thermal comfort for human thermal adaptation in different regions. The standards and systems of human habitat adapted to different regional characteristics should be formed.

Study on the Microclimate Effect of Water Body Layout Factors on Campus Squares

Quantifying the water layout factors in a campus square helps to lay out water bodies more scientifically and utilize the microclimate effect to alleviate the heat and humidity of campus squares in summer. The West Gate Square of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University in China has been used as the primary theoretical model, and the landscape pattern index from landscape ecology has been used to quantify the scale, shape, and dispersion of water bodies. Consider the typical weather, the summer solstice, as the experiment time. The relationship between the water body layout factors and cooling effect, the humidification effect, and the wind speed is clarified from both temporal and spatial perspectives. The data were analyzed with ENVI-met and Arcgis software. Then, the optimum campus square water body layout mode was concluded. The results show that: (1) The scale, dispersion, and shape of the water body has a significant effect on the campus temperature and humidity, while the effect on wind speed is not significant. (2) From the cooling and humidifying effect, the ranking of the regulating ability of the water body layout factors is scale > shape > dispersion; the ranking of the influence range is shape > scale > dispersion. (3) When the boundary of the square is determined, the optimum water body layout mode is that the water body area accounts for 36% of the total square area. The shape of the water body is concentrated and not dispersed square. When the water body layout is determined, the optimum layout mode of the boundary is length:width = 1:2.

Phenology of Araucaria Forest fern communities: comparison of the influence of natural edge, artificial edge, and forest interior

The edge effect, triggered by habitat fragmentation, alters forest microclimates and influences the life cycle of plants. Phenology may indicate the first changes in phenological patterns in response to the effects of climate change. Climate regulates the phenology of ferns and climatic triggers influence plants in tropical and subtropical regions differently. This study analyzed and compared the phenology of fern communities of three sub-areas - natural edge, artificial edge, and forest interior - of a fragment of Araucaria Forest in the Floresta Nacional de São Francisco de Paula, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and its relationship with meteorological, astronomical, and edaphic variables. Abiotic and edaphic data were monitored concomitantly with phenological data (leaf renewal and senescence and sporangia formation) in each sub-area over a biennium. Temperature, air humidity, and soil moisture, which undergo changes with the edge effect, influenced edge plants. Leaf renewal was the main phenophase showing strong indication of changes in vegetative patterns in natural and artificial edge communities. Among the communities, that of the artificial edge signaled phenological changes that could compromise the development of ferns if effects intensify over time. In this respect, the phenology of artificial edge ferns differed from that of plants growing in originally natural formations (natural edge and forest interior), showing that exogenous transformations represent a new environmental situation for ferns to develop.

Forest microclimate and composition mediate long-term trends of breeding bird populations

Climate change is contributing to biodiversity redistributions and species declines. However, cooler microclimate conditions provided by old-growth forest structures compared with surrounding open or younger forests have been hypothesized to provide thermal refugia for species that are sensitive to climate warming and dampen the negative effects of warming on population trends of animals (i.e., the microclimate buffering hypothesis). In addition to thermal refugia, the compositional and structural diversity of old-growth forest vegetation itself may provide resources to species that are less available in forests with simpler structure (i.e., the insurance hypothesis). We used 8 years of breeding bird abundance data from a forested watershed, accompanied with sub-canopy temperature data, and ground- and LiDAR-based vegetation data to test these hypotheses and identify factors influencing bird population changes from 2011 to 2018. After accounting for imperfect detection, we found that for 5 of 20 bird species analyzed, abundance trends tended to be less negative or neutral at sites with cooler microclimates, which supports the microclimate buffering hypothesis. Negative effects of warming on two species were also reduced in locations with greater forest compositional diversity supporting the insurance hypothesis. We provide the first empirical evidence that complex forest structure and vegetation diversity confer microclimatic advantages to some animal populations in the face of climate change. Conservation of old-growth forests, or their characteristics in managed forests, could help slow the negative effects of climate warming on some breeding bird populations via microclimate buffering and possibly insurance effects.

How Thermal Perceptual Schema Mediates Landscape Quality Evaluation and Activity Willingness

The use of outdoor space is closely related to local microclimate conditions. Some studies have shown that people form perceptual schemata based on their perceptual experience of microclimate conditions, which leads to perceptual bias, so it is necessary to further investigate how the thermal schemata formed by the accumulation of thermal experience affect the willingness to engage in activities, which will be beneficial to improve the use of urban space. Studies have not explored the relationship between the thermal perceptual schema (TPS), landscape quality evaluation (LQE), and activity willingness. Therefore, it is necessary to further investigate how thermal schemas formed by the accumulation of thermal experience affect activity willingness. A total of 3435 volunteers were surveyed online and divided into two groups, the first group for comfortable weather (N = 1773) and the second group for hot weather (N = 1662), and voted for each of the four dimensions of the five scenarios according to the TPS. This study found that socioeconomic status (SES) and age were the main factors contributing to TPS bias when perceiving the same destination according to TPS, and this difference was consistent in both groups, which affects the willingness to be active at the destination. The study also found that LQE may be a major factor in residents' willingness to be active in more pleasant weather, while TPS plays a more important role in hot weather conditions. In addition, we investigated the relationship between TPS and residents' activity willingness mediated by different landscape features and parameter configurations. These results indicate that the TPS formed by thermal experience accumulation affects people's LQE and activity willingness, and that landscape configuration parameters play an important role.

Bat dynamics modelling as a tool for conservation management in subterranean environments

Bat species inhabit subterranean environments (e.g., caves and mines) in small areas with specific microclimatic conditions, during various periods of their life cycle. Bats can be negatively influenced by microclimatic changes within their roosts if optimal habitat patches become unavailable. Therefore, proper management solutions must be applied for the conservation of vulnerable bat populations, especially in show caves. We have pursued an ensemble species distribution modelling approach in subterranean environments to identify sensible patches for bats. Using multi-annual temperature monitoring and bat distribution surveys performed within ten caves and mines, including show caves, we modelled relevant habitat patches for five bat species. The temperature-based variables generated from this approach proved to be effective when processed via species distribution models, which generated optimal validation results, even for bats that were heavily clustered in colonies. Management measures are proposed for each show cave to help in long-time conservation of hibernation and maternity colonies. These measures include creating suitable microclimatic patches within the caves by ecological reconstruction measures, tourist management practices in relation to bats, and show cave fitting recommendations. This approach has never been performed at this scale due to the complex geostatistical challenges involving subterranean environment mapping and can be further used as best practice guidelines for future conservation projects.

Microclimate predicts kelp forest extinction in the face of direct and indirect marine heatwave effects

Marine heatwaves threaten the persistence of kelp forests globally. However, the observed responses of kelp forests to these events have been highly variable on local scales. Here, we synthesize distribution data from an environmentally diverse region to examine spatial patterns of canopy kelp persistence through an unprecedented marine heatwave. We show that, although often overlooked, temperature variation occurring at fine spatial scales (i.e., a few kilometers or less) can be a critical driver of kelp forest persistence during these events. Specifically, though kelp forests nearly all persisted toward the cool outer coast, inshore areas were >3°C warmer at the surface and experienced extensive kelp loss. Although temperatures remained cool at depths below the thermocline, kelp persistence in these thermal refugia was strongly constrained by biotic interactions, specifically urchin populations that increased during the heatwave and drove transitions to urchin barrens in deeper rocky habitat. Urchins were, however, largely absent from mixed sand and cobble benthos, leading to an unexpected association between bottom substrate and kelp forest persistence at inshore sites with warm surface waters. Our findings demonstrate both that warm microclimates increase the risk of habitat loss during marine heatwaves and that biotic interactions modified by these events will modulate the capacity of cool microclimates to serve as thermal refugia.

Influence of view factors on intra-urban air temperature and thermal comfort variability in a temperate city

Urban geometry is known to be one of the major factors in explaining the intra-urban temperature variations. A commonly used indicator to describe the urban geometry is the sky view factor. However, the existing studies have shown that the relationship between SVF and urban temperature is quite contradictory. This suggests that a single SVF cannot accurately quantify the urban geometry. For comparison, we here propose to use view factors, including sky, building and tree view factors (SVF, BVF, and TVF, respectively), to accurately quantify the three-dimensional urban geometry. Based on microclimate measurements conducted in Beijing Olympic Park and its surrounding urban environment in Beijing, China, the impact of view factors on intra-urban air temperature and thermal comfort was evaluated. Measurements were conducted along a selected path during hot summer days with clear skies and light winds by mobile traverses. The obtained results showed that SVF was positively correlated with air temperature during the day but negatively correlated with air temperature at night. BVF mainly played a warming role in both daytime and nighttime. Especially at night, BVF was the main geometric warming factor. TVF had a significant cooling effect during the day but did not have a negative effect at night due to reduced SVF. There was a strong point-to-point correlation between SVF and outdoor thermal comfort in the daytime. The mean differences in Mean Radiant Temperature and Physiologically Equivalent Temperature between shaded and unshaded sites were 12.0 °C and 6.8 °C, respectively, which suggested that providing effective shading is extremely important for improving outdoor daytime thermal comfort.