Thermal sensation of people performing recreational activities in shadowy environment: a case study from Turkey

The objective of this study is to determine human thermal comfort conditions in the recreational areas of the city of Erzurum using an 18-year data set of the five warmest months of the year obtained from the meteorological station established in the rural area of the city at 1400 local time and discussing the applicability of a new approach that climatic or bioclimatic comfort conditions under some tree species may be comparable to those under some cloudiness categories. It was found by concluding that the effects of cloudiness and shadows of selected tree species may not be the same on thermal comfort conditions that people can experience cold stress under dense shadows especially in spring and autumn months and heat stress under weak shadows in summer months in recreational areas. It was suggested that, in order to prevent people in recreational areas from heat and cold stress, great care must be taken in the plantation of recreational areas and deciduous tree species, rather than coniferous, which can foliate late, should be used.