El Salvador (Case Study by Mr. Alex Chaves )
Central America is located along the Ring of Fire where the subduction process causes high volcanic activity, as well as intense earthquake activity. In addition it’s an area that is located between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, where hurricanes affect constantly El Salvador and other neighboring countries.
In El Salvador during the rainy season or when major earthquakes affect the area, processes like mass movements (small, medium and large order), liquefaction, erosion and floods change the morphology of the territory (Rose et al., 2004; Jibson et al. 2004; González et al. 2004). The problematic have been increased in recent years, with rains connected with hurricanes or tropical depressions like Mitch (1998), Stan (2005), Ida (2009), Alex (2010), Agatha (2010) and 12-E (2011); as well as earthquakes in 1986 and 2001 mainly (Evans & Bent, 2004). For this reason, each year the local governmental and international offices have to invest large sums of money in the reconstruction of public and private infrastructure in addition to the significant environmental and social impact that the country suffer. (CLICK FOR MORE)
Fungal diversity in sandstone gorges of the Bohemian Switzerland National Park (Czech Republic): impact of climatic inversion
Jan Holec, Jan Wild
The diversity of macrofungi in 8 sandstone gorges (narrow valleys bordered by sandstone walls, mostly covered by Picea forests with admixed Fagus, alt. 170–390 m) was assessed with respect to microclimatic data from 235 stations measuring temperature and soil moisture along the elevation gra- dient. In total, 253 species of macrofungi were found including some boreal-montane species, species preferring moist habitats and/or species of more or less natural vegetation. Microclimatically, the bot- toms of gorges are significantly colder than their slopes and slope crests during the vegetation period (climatic inversion) and show higher soil moisture throughout the year. However, they are not signifi- cantly colder during the winter period and even show a higher average minimal temperature than the rest of gorges. Generally, bottoms of sandstone gorges function as „buffers“ maintaining a stable, hu- mid and rather cold microclimate and enabling the occurrence of some boreal-montane fungi and spe- cies requiring humid conditions. Climatic inversion is a phenomenon markedly influencing the distri- bution of fungi in the landscape and enabling extrazonal occurrence of some species. (CLICK FOR MORE)
Temporal and spatial variability of microclimate in sandstone landscape: detailed field measurement
Jan Wild, Martin Macek, Martin Kopecky, Jana Zmeskalova, Vera Hadincova, Pavla Trachtova
Microclimate is an important driver of species occurrence and vegetation cover in landscapes with complex relief such a sandstone areas, but attempts to measure the characteristic of these microclimates are rather scant. We performed detailed and long-term measurement of near-ground surface temperature and soil moisture six different valleys using newly developed tools (TMS1). The results reveal a buffering effect of valleys and that temperatures are significantly colder on valleys floors during the growing season while temperatures were similar or even higher during the winter season than on slopes and crests. (CLICK FOR MORE)
Microclimate measurement as one of the prerequisites for successful introduction of ornamental trees
Jan Wild, Jan Kirschner, David Moravec, Jana Kohlova
The success of ornamental tree introduction was long time based mostly on the experience of botanists and gardeners, although individual aspects of the introduction have a potential to be at least partly formalized. In this paper we summarize the key aspects of the introduction and present a pilot study of one of these aspects – the microclimate. The study demonstrates instruments and methods of microclimate measurement and presents preliminary results of air temperature variability in the Průhonice Park. The results show significant variability of near ground air and soil temperatures in both assessed parameters: extreme values and long term averages. We also observed significant deviations from measurements provided by a standard meteorological station. Standardized methods for microclimate measurement thus contribute to more accurate estimation of suitable habitat as well as requirements of particular ornamental trees and could become a part of formalized approach to introduction.