Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Convergence Of Microclimate In Residential Landscapes Across Diverse Cities In The United States, Sharon J. Hall, J Learned, Benjamin Ruddell, Kelli L. Larson, Jeannine Cavender-Bares, Neil D. Bettez, Peter M. Groffman, J. Morgan Grove, James B. Heffernan, Sarah E. Hobbie, Kristen Larson, Jennifer L. Morse, Christopher Neill, Kristen C. Nelson, Jarlath O'Neil-Dunne, Laura A. Ogden, Diane E. Pataki, William D. Pearse, Colin Polsky, Rinku Roy Chowdhury, Meredith K. Steele, Tara Trammell

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Context The urban heat island (UHI) is a welldocumented 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.

Objectives 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.

Methods We deployed portable micrometeorological sensors to compare air temperature and humidity …