Plant and Livestock Systems
and Environmental Control
Engineering
Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Central Philippine University
Iloilo City
What is environment?
The air, water, and land in or on which
people, animals, and plants live –
Cambridge dictionary
The complex of physical, chemical, and
biotic factors that act upon an organism or
an ecological community and ultimately
determine its form and survival. – Britannica
Climate
Climate is the long-term pattern of weather
in a particular area. Weather can change
from hour-to-hour, day-to-day, month-to-
month or even year-to-year. A region’s
weather patterns, usually tracked for at least
30 years, are considered its climate. –
National Geographic
Microclimate
What is Microclimate?
Microclimates and micro-environments refer to the
immediate, onsite conditions in given space.
Microclimates are limited to a specific
geographical area, functioning as a climate inside
of a larger climate. It’s found in a small and local
area such as a forest floor or a mountain valley.
Microclimates have variations of elements such as
temperature and humidity in comparison to the
surrounding climate.
A microclimate, is a place in the world that has a
local set of atmospheric conditions that differ from
the rest of the areas surrounding the place. These
differences may be slight or substantial depending
on a wide range of factors such as the aspect of a
given region.
Def:ine by WorldAtlas
Example
Microclimates are largely influenced by
topographic features such as lakes, vegetation,
and cities. In large urban areas, for example,
streets and buildings absorb heat from the Sun,
raising the average temperature of the city
higher than average temperatures of more open
areas nearby. This is known as the “urban heat
island effect.”
The factors that influence microclimates are:
Temperature Humidity Index (THI)
Heat Stress Index
Dew Point Temperature
Relative Humidity
Temperature
Air Flow
Altitude
Barometric Pressure
Microclimate in Agriculture
Microclimate plays a major role in the
modern ideology of sustainable irrigation
methods. By determining the microclimate
and soil moisture parameters, the usage of
water can be optimized as much as
possible.
Mulching Practices enhance
microclimate
Microclimates in landscape
design
Microclimate Structures