Meili, N;
Acero, JA;
Peleg, N;
Manoli, G;
Burlando, P;
Fatichi, S;
(2021)
Vegetation cover and plant-trait effects on outdoor thermal comfort in a tropical city.
Building and Environment
, 195
, Article 107733. 10.1016/j.buildenv.2021.107733.
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Abstract
An increase in urban vegetation is an often proposed mitigation strategy to reduce urban heat and improve outdoor thermal comfort (OTC). Vegetation can alter urban microclimate through changes in air temperature, mean radiant temperature, humidity, and wind speed. In this study, we model how street tree and ground vegetation cover and their structural, optical, interception, and physiological traits control the diurnal cycle of OTC in different urban densities in a tropical city (Singapore). For this purpose, we perform a variance based sensitivity analysis of the urban ecohydrological model UT&C. Model performance is evaluated through a comparison with local microclimate measurements and OTC is assessed with the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI). We find a pronounced daily cycle of vegetation effects on UTCI. Tree cover fraction is more efficient in decreasing UTCI during daytime, while a higher vegetated ground fraction provides more cooling during night. Generally, increasing vegetation cover fractions do not deter OTC, except in certain urban densities during some periods of the day. An increase in tree and ground vegetation fractions provides a higher average UTCI reduction compared to a change in vegetation traits (0.9 – 2.9 °C vs. 0.7 – 1.1 °C during midday, 10 month average). The increase in humidity related to plant transpiration prevents further reduction of UTCI. However, the choice of vegetation traits enhancing tree transpiration can decrease UTCI during hot periods. These results can inform urban planners on the selection of vegetation amount and traits to achieve feasible OTC improvements in tropical cities.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Vegetation cover and plant-trait effects on outdoor thermal comfort in a tropical city |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.buildenv.2021.107733 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2021.107733 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
| Keywords: | Outdoor thermal comfort, UTCI, Urban vegetation, Ecosystem services, Heat mitigation in the tropics, Urban ecohydrological model |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science > Dept of Civil, Environ and Geomatic Eng |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10123588 |
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Loading...Loading...| 1. |  China | 4 |
| 2. |  Cyprus | 3 |
| 3. |  Singapore | 2 |
| 4. |  Russian Federation | 2 |
| 5. |  South Africa | 1 |
| 6. |  Indonesia | 1 |
| 7. |  United States | 1 |
| 8. |  France | 1 |
| 9. |  Trinidad and Tobago | 1 |
| 10. |  Saudi Arabia | 1 |
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