Microclima em fragmento de Mata Atlântica no Refúgio da Vida Silvestre Mata do Junco, Capela, Sergipe

Abstract

Equipments used to register weather conditions became more accessible. However, studies that accurately quantify microclimatic conditions in forest ecosystems are still rare. This study aimed to describe and analyze the variations in the air temperature, air relative humidity and soil temperature in an Atlantic Forest fragment located in Mata do Junco Wildlife Refuge, Capela, Sergipe, Brazil. Weather stations programmed to record every 30 min over a period of one year were installed inside a forest area, composed by late successional species forming dense canopy, and in a 0.1 ha forest gap. Results showed that the microclimate in the dense canopy forest was less variable than in the forest gap, where daily and seasonal variations were more intense. The average air and soil temperatures were 0.6 oC and 2.5 oC higher in the forest gap, while the average air humidity was 6.9% higher in the dense forest. The Angstron index indicated a higher risk of wildfire occurrence in the gap.