Modeling microclimate environments: A verification study

A numerical model is developed for simulating microclimate of plants and bare soil. The model evaluates heat, mass, momentum, and radiative fluxes in the soil-plant-atmosphere system. Its vertical domain may extend throughout the whole Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL). The model requires, either, temporal meteorological data of solar radiation, wind speed, air temperature and humidity measured over the field, or, when applied to the whole PBL, initial values of the latter three at its top. Vegetation parameters (leaf area index, photometric properties, root distribution and density) as well as soil texture, hydraulic and photometric properties are considered. The model was verified with meteorological data taken from two different climatological regions, above a bare soil and two cotton fields.For all case studies, observed and calculated values of air (except for within-canopy) and soil temperatures, wind speed, net radiation, and soil-, latent-, and sensible heat fluxes, agreed well with measurements.