Biometeorology and recreation in east Mediterranean forests

For better planning and management of landscape units such as forests for recreational purposes there is need for not only to give much emphasis to the visual aesthetic aspects, but also to understand the microclimate differences among vegetative units and their influence on recreation-seeking humans. Microclimatic measurements were conducted in man-made and natural forests, some neglected and some regularly used for recreation by the population of Israel. Human response to the thermal environment and the mechanism of heat exchange between the body and the environment have been expressed in terms of the sweating rate (S) and the thermal sensation (TS), which is the perceived thermal comfort sensation at a given S. The results presented show that the S needed to maintain homeothermy and the sensation of thermal comfort are closely related to overhead canopy closure. Specifically, gaps in the tall tree forest and oak scrub formations on south-facing slopes will provide the most comfortable sites in winter and early spring, whereas summer thermal comfort is directly related to tall tree forest canopy closure, preferably on north-facing slopes.