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Orientador(es)
Resumo(s)
ABSTRACT: Understanding how topography and forest structure drive the transformation of incoming solar energy into local microclimatic conditions is essential for predicting forest resilience under climate change. Quantifying the importance of such attributes on the stratification of microclimates requires the integration of heterogeneous ecological data streams. Here, we combined satellite-derived solar radiation and topographic data, LiDARderived forest structural metrics and in situ air temperature and relative humidity time series to quantify the interactions between incoming solar energy, forest structure and topography, ultimately driving microclimatic stratification.
Focusing on native and exotic forest stands on Terceira Island, Azores, Portugal, we evaluated how forest structural complexity and topography interact with incoming solar energy to jointly shape daily air temperature and vapour pressure deficit dynamics. By explicitly linking terrain complexity and three-dimensional vegetation structure with external energy inputs and sensor-derived microclimatic responses, our approach provides a datadriven basis for identifying the structural attributes that drive microclimatic variability within forests.
Our results show that forest structural complexity and topography shape the vertical gradient of air temperature and atmospheric dryness, but with responses differing among canopy, understory, and ground strata. These findings demonstrate the value of integrating remote sensing, environmental sensor networks, and statistical modelling to resolve biologically relevant microclimatic heterogeneity. More broadly, the workflow developed here offers a transferable framework for microclimate monitoring, forest restoration assessment, and the identification of microrefugia in structurally complex ecosystems.
Descrição
Palavras-chave
Terrestrial laser scanning Microclimate monitoring Vegetation architecture Solar irradiation Forest island ecosystems
Contexto Educativo
Citação
Lhoumeau, S., Seidel, D., Elias, R. B., Gabriel, R., & Borges, P. A. (2026). Using forest structural complexity and topography metrics to characterise vertical microclimatic stratification. Ecological Informatics, 99, 104087. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2026.104087
Editora
Elsevier