ZLV Online

Abstract

The paper aims to investigate the effect of mountain pine shrubs on ground air temperatures and relative air humidity in its vicinity. Temperature and humidity sensors were placed 35 cm above the ground in two locations: 1) inside mountain pine shrub, at an edge of the shrub and in a gap, and 2) in detailed transect from a shrub into a gap. Vegetation periods from May to September were evaluated. Ground temperatures inside the mountain pine shrub were the most stable; temperature amplitude grew with increasing distance from the shrub to the gap. However, in sunny days maximal temperatures near the edge of the shrub often exceeded values in forest gap. Relative air humidity of forest gap was lower than in the interior and close vicinity of shrubs, it decreases with an increasing distance from the shrub. Air temperature and humidity gradients of the monitored south-western edges of the mountain pine shrub were short, the influenced space near other more shaded sides of the shrub would reach further. Terrain micro-variability can influence temperature and especially humidity of the ground air layer and suppresses expected differences coming from the distance to the nearest mountain pine shrub.