Modeling transpiration and leaf temperature of urban trees – A case study evaluating the microclimate model ENVI-met against measurement data

Abstract Increasing vegetation cover in cities is a key approach to mitigating urban heat excess. However, both the effect of vegetation on microclimate and the plants’ vitality need to be assessed to support and quantify the effects of such strategies. One way to assess the interactions between vegetation and the urban environment is through microclimate models that can simulate the effects of vegetation onto the urban microclimate as well as effects of urban environments onto vegetation. To provide reliable estimates microclimate models need to be parameterized based on empirically obtained data. In this paper we compare modeled transpiration rates and leaf temperatures of a leading micro…