Correspondence 1

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Youfang Duan

Walking on the snow-covered ground surface along a transect in Milton, I adapt my body physics to the environment. Variation of the snow cover depth results from the different microclimates created by different vertical layer compositions. Through quadrats sampling, quantitative measurement, and qualitative assessment, I categorized two environmental factors and 6 vertical elements that contribute to different microclimatic conditions demonstrated by the coverage, depth, pattern and melt speed of the snow cover. Vertical elements include tree species, especially deciduous trees and evergreen, branch density, tree density, ground cover, aspect of the slope and topography. Those elements determine the sunlight penetration rate, temperature, canopy blockage that eventually inform the snow pattern on the ground. I identified different ecotones along the transect. From the riverside towards the roadside, characterized ecotones are river bank, grass meadow, sparse grove(sub-canopy species), dense grove (multi-stem species), puddle, stream, snow-covered plain, fallen-tree forest (ferns, moss and grass), fallen-tree evergreen forest, and steep slope. Snow-covered ground conditions are captured from the top-down as the phenomenon of the overall environmental effect. Canopy and density are captured in the section views to register the sunlight condition. My focus on the snow arouses my interest in pattern-making varied and modified in the spatial and temporal scale.

Alexandra Hall

Linnea Laux

In this transect, there are three basic zones: hilltop, slope, and stream floodplain. I was interested in understanding how the edge of the floodplain is visible when walking in the landscape. I sampled the topsoil every 100ft along my 2000ft walking path, and analyzed photos from specific sampling spots to understand aboveground conditions. I also took samples of subsoil unearthed by the roots of fallen trees. I found that there are differences in soil, plant ecology, ground conditions, and tree spacing, but recent storms have also created entirely new zones. My path is initially crooked because of my effort to avoid a tangle of fallen trees that spans hilltop and slope. It continues in a straight but less-than-easterly direction, partly because of a flawed GPS, but partly because of the disorienting sameness of the stream floodplain. Fallen trees are the most prominent feature on the transect. I was able to gather quick data about the current conditions, but chose to avoid the biggest goldmine of information due to time constraints. I wonder when each of these trees fell, how old they are, and which species. I wonder if they were dead or diseased while standing, or just unable to withstand historic winds. I wonder what species can be found colonizing the center of the largest windfall, where trees fell between 2015 and 2017. I wonder whether my perception that the windfall began with one tree and expanded outwards during several events is correct. My characterization of the site through this transect attempts to vertically interpret specific spots, and therefore misses the horizontal elements, ecotones, and continuous phenomena.

Dina Luo

Katherine Rossi

Mapping Microclimates:Upon landing at Milton and heading out to my designated transect, my focus was immediately drawn to the edges of the landscape. These edges are primarily maintained through maintenance regimes such as regular mowing and they delineate one type of landscape, i.e. “meadow” from another type, i.e. “forest” creating what can feel like a binomial experience as though one is walking through a door into another room when passing through these landscape types.

I am interested in exploring how one might define these “rooms” and the experience of crossing the threshold to enter them. I believe that mapping microclimate will help define the temporal experiences of these different landscape types. In these drawings, the transects were investigated using quantitative methods (temperature, light conditions, soil moisture, wind speed, humidity) as well as qualitative methods (presence of snow, sense of enclosure).

Throughout the process of mapping microclimatic experiences along two transects at Milton, I worried that my investigation might be too broad. Was I not just describing “landscape” and potentially verging on an “everything is everything” sentiment? It is my hope that by visualizing and characterizing what might seem obvious, I can better understand the relationship between enclosure and microclimate. There are some obvious conclusions that can be drawn from this relationship, but I think the importance lies in developing a visual language for communicating these microclimates as a means for identifying anomalies on-site that offer the potential for interesting design interventions.

Why does it matter?: There are larger implications for developing both improved visualization and understanding of microclimate, both for landscape design and for climate change. Designs centered on microclimate can have more control over thermal comfort and can reduce building energy consumption. Improved modeling and visualization of microclimate can help scientists and designers better understand how organisms are responding to climate change and can aid in identifying species distribution and microrefugia.