The buffering power of the canopy

Bryophytes are small organisms with a micro-ecological niche. The environmental conditions they experience are not entirely similar to the macroclimate measured on a large scale. This is particularly true for epiphytic bryophytes living on the trunks of trees in forests. In fact, the canopy tends to buffer the macroclimate by reducing the temperature range and maintaining humidity. In the context of climate change, understanding the importance of the canopy buffer and assessing the importance of the microclimates it creates is essential to identify and protect micro-refuge areas. Alain and Lea have the project to study the buffering power of the canopy in four axes. 1. to determine the extent to which the forest microclimate differs from the regional macroclimate 2. determine the extent to which this forest buffering capacity can be predicted from topographic and canopy structure variables 3. determine the importance of this microclimate for communities 4. map the forest micro-refuge in Wallonia. To do this, Lea equipped 54 trees with data loggers that record air temperature and humidity in 54 forests. She searched all Wallonia between January and March 2023. The data loggers will remain for a whole year.