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

Formally Refereed

Abstract

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. 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.

Keywords

Urban homogenization, Residential lawn, Microclimate, Urban heat island (UHI), Humidity, Urban protected area

Citation

Hall, Sharon J.; Learned, J.; Ruddell, B.; Larson, K.L.; Cavender-Bares, J.; Bettez, N.; Groffman, P.M.; Grove, J.M.; Heffernan, J.B.; Hobbie, S.E.; Morse, J.L.; Neill, C.; Nelson, K.C.; O'Neil-Dunne, J.P.M.; Ogden, L.; Pataki, D.E.; Pearse, W.D.; Polsky, C.; Chowdhury, R. Roy; Steele, M.K.; Trammell, T.L.E. 2016. Convergence of microclimate in residential landscapes across diverse cities in the United States. Landscape Ecology. 31(1): 101-117.
Citations
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/50151