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Microclimate

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	Microclimate
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	Topics Microclimate Topic Home A microclimate is a geographical zone where the climateClimate The climate is commonly considered to be the weather averaged over a long period of time, typically 30 years.... differs from the surrounding area. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square feet (for example a garden bed) or as large as many square miles (for example a valley). Microclimates exist, for example, near bodies of water which may cool the local atmosphere, or in heavily urban areas where brick, concrete, and asphalt absorb the sun's energy, heat up, and reradiateReradiate For other meanings of the term, see Reradiation.... that heat to the ambient air: the resulting urban heat islandUrban heat island Summary An urban heat island* is a metropolitan area which is significantly warmer than its surroundings.... is a kind of microclimate. Another contributory factor to microclimate is the slope or aspectAspect (geography) In geography, aspect generally refers to the direction to which a mountain slope faces.... of an area. South-facing slopes in the Northern HemisphereNorthern Hemisphere The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet's surface that is north of the equator .... and north-facing slopes in the Southern HemisphereSouthern Hemisphere The Southern Hemisphere is the half of a planet's surface that is south of the equator.... are exposed to more direct sunlight than opposite slopes and are therefore warmer for longer. The area in a developed industrial park may vary greatly from a wooded park nearby, as natural floraFlora In botany, *flora* has two meanings.... in parks absorb light and heat in leaves, that a building roof or parking lot just radiates back into the air. Solar energy advocates argue that widespread use of solar collection can mitigate overheating of urban environments by absorbing sunlight and putting it to work instead of heating the local surface objects. A microclimate can offer an opportunity as a small growing regionGrowing region A growing region is an area suited by climate and soil conditions to the cultivation of a certain type of crop.... for crops that cannot thrive in the broader area; this concept is often used in permaculturePermaculture Permaculture is a design system which aims to create sustainable habitats by following nature's patterns.... practiced in northern temperate climates. Microclimates can be used to the advantage of gardeners who carefully choose and position their plants. Cities often raise the average temperature by zoningZoning Zoning is a North American term for a system of land-use regulation.... , and a sheltered position can reduce the severity of winterWinter Winter is one of the four seasons of temperate zones.... . Roof gardenRoof garden A roof garden is any garden on the roof of a building.... ing, however, exposes plants to more extreme temperatures in both summer and winter Microclimates can also refer to purpose made environments, such as those in a room or other enclosure. Microclimates are commonly created and carefully maintained in museum display and storage environments. This can be done using passive methods, such as silica gelSilica gel Silica gel is a granular, porous form of silica made synthetically from sodium silicate.... , or with active microclimate control devices. . See also evapotranspirationEvapotranspiration Evapotranspiration is the sum of evaporation and plant transpiration.... hydrozoningHydrozoning Hydrozoning is a landscape practice that groups plants with similar water requirements together in an effort to conserve wat... xeriscapingXeriscaping Xeriscaping refers to landscaping in ways that do not require supplemental irrigation.... Sky islandSky island Sky islands are mountains in ranges isolated by valleys in which other ecosystems are located.... External links to detect a specific microclimate