IntrotoPermacultureIdentifyingMicroclimatesVideoTranscript
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Whenwedescribetheorientationofanobjectinrelationtothesun,wecallthatits‘solaraspect.’
Dependingonwhatthesolaraspectofthesideofanobjectwilldetermineits‘microclimate.’A
microclimateisanareathathasadistinctclimatethatdiffersfromtheareaaroundit.Itcanbeassmall
asafewsquarefeetormeters,oraslargeasmanymilesorkilometers.Somethingsthatmay
determineamicroclimatearesolaraspect,topography,soils,waterbodies,builtstructures,and
vegetation.
Understandingmicroclimatesisreallyimportant,whenit’stimetoplaceplants,sowecantakebest
advantageoftheheat,cold,protection,moisture,dryness,orwhateverthatmicroclimateprovidesthat
aplantspecieslikes.Understandingthemicroclimateaparticularplantthrivesinisalsoatooltohelpus
inreadingthelandscape.Noticingmicroclimatesisanobservationaltoolthatwillmakeyouabetter
designer.
Forinstance,whereIlivedinthehighdesertofArizonatherewasaplantcalledManzanita,or
Arctostaphylos.Thatplantrequiresfireaspartofitsregeneration,sowhereveryouseethatplantin
abundance,itiswhatiscalleda‘firedependent‘landscape.Sowhenyoufindathickstandof
ManzanitaonaSouthorsunfacingorWestfacingslope,whichisalsothedirectionthattheprevailing
summerwindscomefrom,thenyouhaveapotentwildfiresectorandthatwouldbeaveryriskyplace
tolocateahome.
Also,intheArizonaMountainsandmanyotherdesertareas,thepresenceofacottonwoodtreemeans
thereiswaterclosetothesurface.ThisisbecauseCottonwoodtreesneedconstantmoistureanddon’t
tendtosendtheirrootsdeeperthan10feet,or3meters.Soacottonwoodtreemayhelpyoufinda
springinthedesert,orletyouknowthatthereisyear-roundmoistureinanarea.Thiscanbereally
usefulwhenassessingapieceofland.Thesearejustacoupleexamplesofwhylearningaboutand
understandingmicroclimatesissousefulandbeneficialinyourPermaculturestudies.