On the measurement of microclimate
Abstract Many organisms live in environments in which temperatures differ substantially from those measured by standard weather stations. The last decade has witnessed a paradigm shift in efforts to quantify these differences and to understand their ecological, functional and evolutionary implicatio...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2021-08-01
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| Series: | Methods in Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13627 |
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| author | Ilya M. D. Maclean James P. Duffy Stef Haesen Sanne Govaert Pieter De Frenne Thomas Vanneste Jonathan Lenoir Jonas J. Lembrechts Marcus W. Rhodes Koenraad Van Meerbeek |
| author_facet | Ilya M. D. Maclean James P. Duffy Stef Haesen Sanne Govaert Pieter De Frenne Thomas Vanneste Jonathan Lenoir Jonas J. Lembrechts Marcus W. Rhodes Koenraad Van Meerbeek |
| author_sort | Ilya M. D. Maclean |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Many organisms live in environments in which temperatures differ substantially from those measured by standard weather stations. The last decade has witnessed a paradigm shift in efforts to quantify these differences and to understand their ecological, functional and evolutionary implications. This renewed interest in microclimate ecology has been accompanied by the development of various compact temperature sensors and radiation shields. However, it is clear that there are many pitfalls when measuring temperature using these devices. Here we address the problem of measuring temperatures in these microenvironments accurately. We first discuss the theory of measuring surface, ground and air temperatures with reference to energy fluxes and how these are modified by material, reflective properties and size of the device. We highlight the particular difficulties associated with measuring air temperature. We then report on the results of a series of experiments in which air temperatures recorded by various commonly used microclimate temperature loggers are compared to those obtained using research‐grade instruments and synoptic weather stations. While accurate measurements of surface and ground temperatures and air temperatures at night and in shaded environments can be relatively easily obtained, we show substantial errors are to be expected when measuring air temperatures in environments exposed to sunlight. Most standard sensors yield large errors, which can reach 25°C due to radiative fluxes operating on the thermometer. This problem cannot be wholly overcome by shielding the thermometer from sunlight, as the shield itself will influence both the temperatures being measured and the accuracy of measurement. We demonstrate that reasonably accurate estimates of air temperature can be obtained with low‐cost and unshielded ultrafine‐wire thermocouples that possess low thermal emissivity and a highly reflective surface. As the processes that create microclimatic temperature variation are the same as those that cause errors, other logger types should be used with care, and generally avoided in environments exposed to sunlight and close to the ground where wind speeds are lower. We urge researchers interested in microclimates and their effects to pay greater heed to the physics of heat exchange when attempting to measure microclimate temperatures and to understand the trade‐offs that exist in doing so. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c7987666f0f3492c9611e1b8d8e782e4 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-210X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Methods in Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-c7987666f0f3492c9611e1b8d8e782e42025-02-07T06:21:05ZengWileyMethods in Ecology and Evolution2041-210X2021-08-011281397141010.1111/2041-210X.13627On the measurement of microclimateIlya M. D. Maclean0James P. Duffy1Stef Haesen2Sanne Govaert3Pieter De Frenne4Thomas Vanneste5Jonathan Lenoir6Jonas J. Lembrechts7Marcus W. Rhodes8Koenraad Van Meerbeek9Environment and Sustainability Institute University of Exeter Penryn Campus Penryn UKEnvironment and Sustainability Institute University of Exeter Penryn Campus Penryn UKDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences KU Leuven Leuven BelgiumForest & Nature Lab Ghent University Gontrode BelgiumForest & Nature Lab Ghent University Gontrode BelgiumForest & Nature Lab Ghent University Gontrode BelgiumEcologie et Dynamique des Systèmes Anthropisés (EDYSAN UMR 7058 CNRS) Université de Picardie Jules Verne Amiens Cedex 1 FranceResearch Group Plants and Ecosystems University of Antwerp Wilrijk BelgiumEnvironment and Sustainability Institute University of Exeter Penryn Campus Penryn UKDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences KU Leuven Leuven BelgiumAbstract Many organisms live in environments in which temperatures differ substantially from those measured by standard weather stations. The last decade has witnessed a paradigm shift in efforts to quantify these differences and to understand their ecological, functional and evolutionary implications. This renewed interest in microclimate ecology has been accompanied by the development of various compact temperature sensors and radiation shields. However, it is clear that there are many pitfalls when measuring temperature using these devices. Here we address the problem of measuring temperatures in these microenvironments accurately. We first discuss the theory of measuring surface, ground and air temperatures with reference to energy fluxes and how these are modified by material, reflective properties and size of the device. We highlight the particular difficulties associated with measuring air temperature. We then report on the results of a series of experiments in which air temperatures recorded by various commonly used microclimate temperature loggers are compared to those obtained using research‐grade instruments and synoptic weather stations. While accurate measurements of surface and ground temperatures and air temperatures at night and in shaded environments can be relatively easily obtained, we show substantial errors are to be expected when measuring air temperatures in environments exposed to sunlight. Most standard sensors yield large errors, which can reach 25°C due to radiative fluxes operating on the thermometer. This problem cannot be wholly overcome by shielding the thermometer from sunlight, as the shield itself will influence both the temperatures being measured and the accuracy of measurement. We demonstrate that reasonably accurate estimates of air temperature can be obtained with low‐cost and unshielded ultrafine‐wire thermocouples that possess low thermal emissivity and a highly reflective surface. As the processes that create microclimatic temperature variation are the same as those that cause errors, other logger types should be used with care, and generally avoided in environments exposed to sunlight and close to the ground where wind speeds are lower. We urge researchers interested in microclimates and their effects to pay greater heed to the physics of heat exchange when attempting to measure microclimate temperatures and to understand the trade‐offs that exist in doing so.https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13627air temperatureclimate changeecologyground surface temperaturemicrohabitatmicrorefugia |
| spellingShingle | Ilya M. D. Maclean James P. Duffy Stef Haesen Sanne Govaert Pieter De Frenne Thomas Vanneste Jonathan Lenoir Jonas J. Lembrechts Marcus W. Rhodes Koenraad Van Meerbeek On the measurement of microclimate Methods in Ecology and Evolution air temperature climate change ecology ground surface temperature microhabitat microrefugia |
| title | On the measurement of microclimate |
| title_full | On the measurement of microclimate |
| title_fullStr | On the measurement of microclimate |
| title_full_unstemmed | On the measurement of microclimate |
| title_short | On the measurement of microclimate |
| title_sort | on the measurement of microclimate |
| topic | air temperature climate change ecology ground surface temperature microhabitat microrefugia |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13627 |
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