Leclerc et al. (2026) Heterogeneous topography and vegetation structure both lead to mosaics of buffered and decoupled microclimates in a Mediterranean massif

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-07-18
• Authors: Laureline Leclerc, Frédéric Mèdail, Lenka Brousset, Emmanuel Corcket, Marie Finocchiaro, Daniel Pavón, Arne Saatkamp, Éric Meineri
• DOI: 10.1016/j.agrformet.2026.111352

Research Groups

• Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (LSCE)
• Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)

Short Summary

This study investigates the spatial variations in microclimates within a Mediterranean landscape in south-eastern France, revealing fine-scale mosaics of contrasting buffering and decoupling effects that vary seasonally. The research highlights the importance of considering heterogeneous landscapes when predicting local ecosystem trajectories under climate change.

Objective

• Investigate the drivers of microclimate variability at fine spatial scales in a rugged Mediterranean landscape

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: 30 ha study area with 60 microclimatic sensors deployed across the site
• Temporal Scale: 15 months of data collection, spanning multiple seasons

Methodology and Data

• Models used: None mentioned; observational data from microclimatic sensors
• Data sources: In-situ measurements from a network of 60 microclimatic sensors

Main Results

• Large microclimatic contrasts within a few meters in terms of buffering (up to +10.77°C locally compared to macroclimate for Tmax in summer) and decoupling (up to 1.84°C increase locally for a 1°C increase in macroclimate, for Tmax in summer)
• Main drivers of microclimate shift seasonally from topographic factors during the cold season to vegetation characteristics during the growing season

Contributions

• Provides new insights into the spatial variability of microclimates within complex terrains, highlighting the importance of considering heterogeneous landscapes when predicting local ecosystem trajectories under climate change
• Quantifies both attenuation and amplification processes in a Mediterranean landscape, contributing to a better understanding of microclimate dynamics in diverse ecosystems

Funding

• This research was supported by the French National Research Agency (ANR) through the project "Microclim" (grant number ANR-17-CE01-0006)
• Additional funding provided by the CNRS and the University of Paris-Saclay

Citation

@article{Leclerc2026Heterogeneous,
  author = {Leclerc, Laureline and Mèdail, Frédéric and Brousset, Lenka and Corcket, Emmanuel and Finocchiaro, Marie and Pavón, Daniel and Saatkamp, Arne and Meineri, Éric},
  title = {Heterogeneous topography and vegetation structure both lead to mosaics of buffered and decoupled microclimates in a Mediterranean massif},
  journal = {Agricultural and Forest Meteorology},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.agrformet.2026.111352},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2026.111352}
}