by CSB Grimmond, C Souch, MD Hubble

Climate Research 6:45–57

1996

Most research into the effects of trees on climate has focused on the scale of individual buildings with some work done on larger expanses of greenspaces (e.g., parks), but at the time of this study, little had been done at the neighborhood scale. Here, two neighborhoods in Los Angeles’ San Gabriel Valley with different amounts of tree cover (30% vs 10%) were compared using aerial imagery, ground surveys, and local meteorological data; irrigation use was determined through surveys and water use bills. The results indicated that the neighborhood with more tree cover had a higher energy flux, a greater net all-wave radiation, and thus a greater amount of energy to be dissipated. Above the canopy, temperatures were higher in the high canopy neighborhood.

Region: Los Angeles, California
Publication Type: Journal article
Keywords: aerial and satellite imagery, climate change, field study, GIS, irrigation, Los Angeles, tree canopy cover, urban forestry, and urban heat island