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

Publication ,  Journal Article
Hall, SJ; Learned, J; Ruddell, B; Larson, KL; Cavender-Bares, J; Bettez, N; Groffman, PM; Grove, JM; Heffernan, JB; Hobbie, SE; Morse, JL ...
Published in: Landscape Ecology
January 1, 2016

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 <50–65 cm/year (Phoenix and Los Angeles) were generally cooler and more humid than nearby native shrublands during summer mornings, while yards in cities above this threshold were generally warmer (Baltimore and Miami) and drier (Miami) than native forests. On average, temperature and absolute humidity were ~6 % less variable among residential ecosystems than among native ecosystems from diverse regions. Conclusions: These data suggest that common residential land cover and structural characteristics lead to microclimatic convergence across diverse regions at the continental scale.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Landscape Ecology

DOI

EISSN

1572-9761

ISSN

0921-2973

Publication Date

January 1, 2016

Volume

31

Issue

1

Start / End Page

101 / 117

Related Subject Headings

  • Ecology
  • 41 Environmental sciences
  • 37 Earth sciences
  • 31 Biological sciences
  • 06 Biological Sciences
  • 05 Environmental Sciences
  • 04 Earth Sciences
 

Citation

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MLA
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Hall, S. J., Learned, J., Ruddell, B., Larson, K. L., Cavender-Bares, J., Bettez, N., … Trammell, T. L. E. (2016). Convergence of microclimate in residential landscapes across diverse cities in the United States. Landscape Ecology, 31(1), 101–117. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-015-0297-y
Hall, S. J., J. Learned, B. Ruddell, K. L. Larson, J. Cavender-Bares, N. Bettez, P. M. Groffman, et al. “Convergence of microclimate in residential landscapes across diverse cities in the United States.” Landscape Ecology 31, no. 1 (January 1, 2016): 101–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-015-0297-y.
Hall SJ, Learned J, Ruddell B, Larson KL, Cavender-Bares J, Bettez N, et al. Convergence of microclimate in residential landscapes across diverse cities in the United States. Landscape Ecology. 2016 Jan 1;31(1):101–17.
Hall, S. J., et al. “Convergence of microclimate in residential landscapes across diverse cities in the United States.” Landscape Ecology, vol. 31, no. 1, Jan. 2016, pp. 101–17. Scopus, doi:10.1007/s10980-015-0297-y.
Hall SJ, Learned J, Ruddell B, Larson KL, Cavender-Bares J, Bettez N, Groffman PM, Grove JM, Heffernan JB, Hobbie SE, Morse JL, Neill C, Nelson KC, O’Neil-Dunne JPM, Ogden L, Pataki DE, Pearse WD, Polsky C, Chowdhury RR, Steele MK, Trammell TLE. Convergence of microclimate in residential landscapes across diverse cities in the United States. Landscape Ecology. 2016 Jan 1;31(1):101–117.
Journal cover image

Published In

Landscape Ecology

DOI

EISSN

1572-9761

ISSN

0921-2973

Publication Date

January 1, 2016

Volume

31

Issue

1

Start / End Page

101 / 117

Related Subject Headings

  • Ecology
  • 41 Environmental sciences
  • 37 Earth sciences
  • 31 Biological sciences
  • 06 Biological Sciences
  • 05 Environmental Sciences
  • 04 Earth Sciences