Microclimate transect
Schools in the Parks
Aims
- To investigate a range of microclimates
- To investigate the effect of parks on the microclimate of an urban area
- To be able to use a map to predict the microclimat eof an area
- To use a range of metereolgical recording equipment
Preparation
Visit the local park, find a suitable route to carry out a transect. Try and find a route which begins includes a
variety of environments e.g. higher to lower ground, through a wooded area, open areas. Run the transect
from the centre of the park into the surrounding built up area. Even in a small area, you should find a
difference as you move out of the park.
Find a suitable map and mark and number the transect points
(see “microclimate transect worksheet”)
You may want to take some preliminary measurements of the
transect to check that there are differences along your route.
Ensure the students are aware of the differences between
weather, climate and microclimate.
Equipment (per group)
- Light meter
- Gridded quadrat
- Bubbles (to measure wind direction)
- Compass
- Thermometer (probe – allows students to measure soil temperature)
- Worksheet, clipboard, pencil
- Anemometer
Note: If you have limited time or equipment, allocate a measurement to each group and collate data to get a class set
of results.
Note: The bubbles used to measure wind direction will be popular with students, so you will probably want to give
each group a pot or rotate the responsibilities at each transect point. Alternatively you can use a small amount of
flour and throw it up into the air – although this doesn’t work too well if the wind is light.
Activity
See additional document “microclimate transect worksheet” for guidance.
Take students to a point where they can view the transect they will be walking. Get students to draw a fieldsketch of
the park and annotate with features that may affect microclimate and (peer assessment: students to swap drawings
and add any annotations to their partners drawing).
After completing the field sketch students can use this sketch to help inform the predictions about the different
microclimatic conditions along the transect.
Walk, as a group, along the transect (rotate the group leading the group each time).
At each marked point on a map (see worksheet for example), each group takes a set of microclimate measurements.
The measurements are relatively self explanatory, and techniques will differ with equipments (light intensity, soil and
air temperature, wind speed).
Canopy cover: Using a gridded a quadrat, hold it above their head towards the sky. Looking through the grid either;
count the number of squares that have more leaves than sky in the them or; estimate the number of squares that
would be covered if all the leaves were gathered together into one area. This will give you a value for percentage
cover.
Wind direction: Blow bubbles and point in the direction the bubbles float in. Use the compass to find the direction of
travel. The wind direction is the direction the wind is coming FROM. So, if the bubbles are travelling North East, the
wind direction is South West.
Once all the measurements have been taken, the students can compare their results to the predictions they made at
the start of the session.
Note: Additional measurements can be taken at each transect point depending on equipment e.g. humidity, rainfall,
max/min temperatures. Although the latter measurements require setting up equipment the previous day, so you
would need to discuss this with the your council’s parks department.
Extension / Additional Activities
An alternative microclimate study can be found in the document “comparing different microclimates session
outline”
©FSC Schools in the Parks 2009
For educational use only
Comparing different microclimates
Schools in the Parks
Preparation
Visit park and find suitable area for the study. Make sure boundaries are clearly defined (use landmarks
available).
If students work independently in small groups to carry out the activity, make sure the area you chose allows
you to see all the groups.
Find a suitable map of the park:
http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/getamap/
http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk
Make sure students have understand the terms weather, climate and microclimate.
Equipment (per group)
Light meter (e.g. http://www.digital-meters.com/products/Low-Cost-Digital-Light-Lux-Meter-%252dSinoMeter-LX%252d1010B.html)
Thermometer
Anemometer (e.g. http://www.glsed.co.uk/productinfo.aspx?catref=294716)
Gridded quadrat (make your own... http://www.field-studies-council.org/outdoorscience/diy.htm)
Map and results sheet
Clipboard
Pencil
Watch/stopwatch (if groups working independently, so they can keep track of time)
Activity
See additional sheet “comparing different microclimates worksheet” for guidance.
Run a short orientation activity with students. Ensuring ALL students know the boundaries of the area that they will
be working in, and the time and meeting point for the end of the activity.
Students use the worksheets to make decisions about what they can measure to describe different microclimates.
Give the students a time limit to explore the designated area of the park and measure the microclimates (light,
temperature, canopy cover, wind speed).
After collecting the data, they then have to decide where the best location for a wind turbine and a solar panel
would be, supporting their answer with the data they have collected.
Note: If you don’t want groups to complete the activity independently, have a class discussion after they have
completed the first part of the worksheet, to decide on 4 places to visit as a class. Each group can then collect their
own data at each place. Additionally if you are running short of time, each group can have responsibility to collect
one piece of data.
Extension / Additional Activities
An alternative microclimate study can be found in the document “microclimate transect session outline”
Health and safety
Take a whistle with you, especially if groups split up to collect their data. Use the whistle to call the students back
together.
©FSC Schools in the Parks 2009
For educational use only