The functional microclimate of an urban arthropod pest: Urban heat island temperatures in webs of the western black widow spider.

Urbanization alters natural landscapes and creates unique challenges for urban wildlife. Similarly, the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect can produce significantly elevated temperatures in urban areas, and we have a relatively poor understanding of how this will impact urban biodiversity. In particular, most studies quantify the UHI using broad-scale climate data rather than assessing microclimate temperatures actually experienced by organisms. In addition, studies often fail to address spatial and temporal complexities of the UHI. Here we examine the thermal microclimate and UHI experienced in the web of Western black widow spiders (Latrodectus hesperus), a medically-important, superabundant urban pest species found in cities across the Western region of North America. We do this using replicate urban and desert populations across an entire year to account for seasonal variation in the UHI, both within and between habitats. Our findings reveal a strong nighttime, but no daytime, UHI effect, with urban spider webs being 2-5 °C warmer than desert webs at night. This UHI effect is most prominent during the spring and least prominent in winter, suggesting that the UHI need not be most pronounced when temperatures are most elevated. Urban web temperatures varied among urban sites in the daytime, whereas desert web temperatures varied among desert sites in the nighttime. Finally, web temperature was significantly positively correlated with a spider's boldness, but showed no relationship with voracity towards prey, web size, or body condition. Understanding the complexities of each organism's thermal challenges, the "functional microclimate", is crucial for predicting the impacts of urbanization and climate change on urban biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.

Sub-regional variation in atmospheric and land variables regulates tea yield in the Dooars region of West Bengal, India.

Climatic variables can have localized variations within a region and these localized climate patterns can have significant effect on production of climate-sensitive crops such as tea. Even though tea cultivation and industries significantly contribute to employment generation and foreign earnings of several South Asian nations including India, sub-regional differences in the effects of climatic and soil variables on tea yield have remained unexplored since past studies focused on a tea-producing region as a whole and did not account for local agro-climatic conditions. Here, using a garden-level panel dataset based on tea gardens of Dooars region, a prominent tea-producing region in India, we explored how sub-regional variations in climatic and land variables might differently affect tea yield within a tea-producing region. Our analysis showed that the Dooars region harboured significant spatial variability for different climatic (temperature, precipitation, surface solar radiation) and soil temperature variables. Using graph-based Louvain clustering of tea gardens, we identified four spatial sub-regions which varied in terms of topography, annual and seasonal distribution of climatic and land variables and tea yield. Our sub-region-specific panel regression analyses revealed differential effects of climatic and land variables on tea yield of different sub-regions. Finally, for different emission scenario, we also projected future (2025-2100) tea yield in each sub-region based on predictions of climatic variables from three GCMs (MIROC5, CCSM4 and CESM1(CAM5)). A large variation in future seasonal production changes was projected across sub-regions (-23.4-35.7% changes in premonsoon, -4.2-3.1% changes in monsoon and -10.9-10.7% changes in postmonsoon tea production, respectively).

The Dark Side of Shade: How Microclimates Drive the Epidemiological Mechanisms of Coffee Berry Disease.

Coffee berry disease (CBD) can cause significant coffee yield losses along with major income losses for African smallholders. Although these farmers cannot afford to purchase pesticides to control the disease, agroecological solutions have rarely been investigated, and how epidemiological mechanisms are linked to the environment of the coffee tree and the plot remains unclear. Agroforestry systems are a promising agroecological option, but the effect of shade on CBD regulation is the subject of debate, and the use of plant species diversity remains uncertain. Here, we address how shade affects epidemiological mechanisms by modifying the microclimate. For this purpose, we developed a mechanistic susceptible-exposed-infectious-removed model and used a Bayesian framework to infer the epidemiological parameters against microclimatic covariates. We show that shade has opposing effects on different epidemiological mechanisms. Specifically, shade can limit disease dynamics by reducing disease transmission while simultaneously promoting disease dynamics by reducing the latent period of the pathogen. However, in full sun, efficient disease transmission compensates for long latent periods. As a result, the balances between microclimatic variables can counterbalance the epidemiological rates, which can dramatically alter the fate of epidemics in shade versus full sun conditions. We propose research avenues to help design cost- and environmentally effective management strategies for CBD that are notably based on the functional traits of shade trees that could hamper CBD dispersal.

Can flowers affect land surface albedo and soil microclimates?

The phenology of vegetation, namely leaf-out and senescence, can influence the Earth's climate over regional spatial scales and long time periods (e.g., over 30 years or more), in addition to microclimates over local spatial scales and shorter time periods (weeks to months). However, the effects of flowers on climate and microclimate are unknown. We investigate whether flowers can influence light reflected by the land surface and soil microclimate in a subalpine meadow. We conducted a flower removal experiment with a common sunflower species, Helianthella quinquenervis, for 3 years (2015, 2017, and 2019). The flower removal treatment simulates the appearance of the meadow when Helianthella flowers earlier under climate change and loses its flowers to frost (other plant structures are not damaged by frost). We test the hypotheses that a reduction in cover of yellow flowers leads to a greener land surface, lower reflectance, warmer and drier soils, and increased plant water stress. Flower removal plots are greener, reflect less light, exhibit up to 1.2 °C warmer soil temperatures during the warmest daylight hours, and contain ca. 1% less soil moisture compared to controls. However, soils were warmer in only 2 of the 3 years, when flower abundance was high. Helianthella water use efficiency did not differ between removal and control plots. Our study provides evidence for a previously undocumented effect of flowers on soil microclimate, an effect that is likely mediated by climate change and flowering phenology. Many anthropogenic environmental changes alter landscape albedo, all of which could be mediated by flowers: climate change, plant invasions, and agriculture. This study highlights how further consideration of the effects of flowers on land surface albedo could improve our understanding of the effects of vegetation on microclimate.

The role of outdoor microclimatic features at long-term care facilities in advancing the health of its residents: An integrative review and future strategies.

Projections show that Earth's climate will continue to warm concurrent with increases in the percentage of the world's elderly population. With an understanding that the body's resilience to the heat degrades as it ages, these coupled phenomena point to serious concerns of heat-related mortality in growing elderly populations. As many of the people in this age cohort choose to live in managed long-term care facilities, it's imperative that outdoor spaces of these communities be made thermally comfortable so that connections with nature and the promotion of non-sedentary activities are maintained. Studies have shown that simply being outside has a positive impact on a broad range of the psychosocial well-being of older adults. However, these spaces must be designed to afford accessibility, safety, and aesthetically pleasing experiences so that they are taken full advantage of. Here, we employ an integrative review to link ideas from the disciplines of climate science, health and physiology, and landscape architecture to explain the connections between heat, increased morbidity and mortality in aging adults, existing gaps in thermal comfort models, and key strategies in the development of useable, comfortable outdoor spaces for older adults. Integrative reviews allow for new frameworks or perspectives on a subject to be introduced. Uncovering the synergy of these three knowledge bases can contribute to guiding microclimatic research, design practitioners, and care providers as they seek safe, comfortable and inviting outdoor spaces for aging adults.

Nest-type associated microclimatic conditions as potential drivers of ectoparasite infestations in African penguin nests.

Nest design and characteristics can influence the microclimatic conditions in the nest. Nest-dwelling ectoparasites are sensitive to temperature and moisture and as such the conditions in the nest can influence parasite infestations. The endangered African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) breeds in different nest types and as yet little is known with regard to the microclimate and parasite infestation within these nests. This study characterized the microclimatic conditions in natural open, natural covered (with vegetation) and artificial nests, and assessed the relationship between nest characteristics (type, age, distance from the coast, orientation and entrance opening) and in-nest ectoparasite infestations and the health of African penguins in Stony Point, South Africa. Penguins (50 adults and 192 chicks) and their nests (n = 308) were sampled in 2016 and 2017. Soil temperature was higher in artificial than in natural nests, and soil and nest material moisture was lower in artificial and natural covered nests than natural open. Ectoparasite infestations were higher under warmer and drier conditions, in artificial nests and nests near the coastline. Penguin (adult and chick) body mass and chick body condition were lower in warmer nests and total plasma protein (in adults and checks) was lower in drier nests. Given the potential adverse effects of ectoparasites on host species, it is recommended that conservation agencies implement a monitoring programme to assess the ectoparasite infestation in artificial nests across multiple colonies. This information will facilitate a more holistic penguin conservation management plan that may prevent further detrimental effects on this endangered penguin species.

Impact of Microclimate on Fatty Acids and Volatile Terpenes in "Kerman" and "Golden Hills" Pistachio (Pistacia vera) Kernels.

Pistachio is an economically important nut crop in California. Since temperature variations among geographical locations can influence biochemical processes during fruit development, it is of great relevance to understand the impact of growing area over the components that define the nutritional and sensory characteristics of pistachio nuts. Changes in moisture, fat content, fatty acid composition and volatile terpenes were studied during kernel development for "Kerman" and "Golden Hills" varieties in two different California Central Valley microclimates, Lost Hills and Parlier. Moisture content decreased from July to September for both cultivars at both locations. Kerman had a higher moisture content at both locations compared with Golden Hills. Harvest time affected fat content only for Kerman, where the values increased drastically from 21-July to 4-Aug, then remained constant. Golden Hills' fat content remained constant during the period of the study. The main fatty acid in pistachio oil is oleic acid (46% to 59%), followed by linoleic acid (26% to 36%) and palmitic acid (11% to 16%). C16:0, C16:1, C18:2, and C18:3 decreased with harvest time, while C18:1 increased. α-Pinene was the most concentrated volatile among the cultivars and locations. It decreased with harvest time for both cultivars at both locations, ranging from 105 to 2464 mg/kg. At harvest, Golden Hills and Kerman at Parlier both had higher concentrations of α-pinene than the two cultivars at Lost Hills. Our results demonstrate that microclimate affects biosynthesis of fatty acids and terpenes in pistachio kernels, the main compounds responsible for pistachio nutritional and sensory characteristics.

Similarities and differences in sensory properties of high quality Arabica coffee in a small region of Colombia.

Coffee sensory properties can depend on several factors such as the species/varieties cultivated, the processing after the harvesting phase, geographical origin, and climatic factors. The impact of microclimates has been suggested to be critical to coffee sensory properties. Thirteen Arabica coffee samples from different farms in different sub areas of the same municipality (Pitalito region of Huila, Colombia), were evaluated using descriptive sensory analysis. The coffee samples differed in growing altitude, shading level, and fermentation practices. Overall, samples differed for attributes such as burnt, acrid, ashy, metallic, sour and sweet aromatics. However, differences generally were small, <1-point on a 0-15 scale for most attributes. Differences could not be directly attributed to geographical area, different farming practice, or storage methods. This study suggests that the impact of specific microclimates within the same small region does not have a large impact on sensory properties of coffee.

Combination of in situ spectroscopy and chemometric techniques to discriminate different types of Roman bricks and the influence of microclimate environment.

Red and yellow bricks are the wall-building materials generally used in Roman masonries. The reasons for the different coloration are not always understood, causing loss of crucial information both for the conservation and for the archaeological knowledge of the cultural sites. In this work, a combination of in situ analyses, employing portable Raman spectroscopy and handheld energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (HH-ED-XRF) spectroscopy along with chemometric analysis, was carried out on ancient Roman bricks of the "Casa di Diana" building (Ostia Antica, Italy-130 CE). Specifically, the compounds and the characteristic elements, which describe each type of brick (red and yellow), were studied avoiding destructive or invasive sampling. The molecular analysis allowed us to identify the major and minor compounds that characterise the bricks (anatase, hematite, quartz, calcite and silicates). However, the elemental analysis gave more useful information. Thus, the complex HH-ED-XRF data matrix generated was treated by a specific principal component analysis (PCA) to identify behavioural differences of the coloured bricks. The results revealed that Ca and Fe are the discriminatory elements for the two types of bricks. The PCA outcomes suggest that the contribution of certain elements is different in the bricks (mainly Ca, P, Sr, As and S, for yellow bricks), which could indicate different raw materials. Even among bricks with the same red colour (Al, Si, Ti, K, Fe, Cr, Mn, Ni, Zn, Cu, Rb and Zr, seemed to be the elements linked to raw materials), as a function of the surface impacts (orientation and microclimate affect the salts' formation), a distinction was made. Furthermore, the PCA pointed out that the yellow bricks are those more affected by decaying processes (related with Ca, P and S), complying with the Raman spectroscopy results in which the efflorescences (gypsum) affect especially the surface of these types of bricks.

How plant neighborhood composition influences herbivory: Testing four mechanisms of associational resistance and susceptibility.

Neighboring plants can decrease or increase each other's likelihood of damage from herbivores through associational resistance or susceptibility, respectively. Associational effects (AE) can transpire through changes in herbivore or plant traits that affect herbivore movement, densities, and feeding behaviors to ultimately affect plant damage. While much work has focused on understanding the mechanisms that underlie associational effects, we know little about how these mechanisms are influenced by neighborhood composition, i.e., plant density or relative frequency which is necessary to make predictions about when AE should occur in nature. Using a series of field and greenhouse experiments, I examined how plant density and relative frequency affected plant damage to Solanum carolinense and four mechanisms that underlie AE; (i) accumulation of insect herbivores and arthropod predators, (ii) microclimate conditions, (iii) plant resistance, and (iv) specialist herbivore preference. I found a positive relationship between S. carolinense damage and the relative frequency of a non-focal neighbor (Solidago altissima) and all four AE mechanisms were influenced by one or multiple neighborhood components. Frequency-dependence in S. carolinense damage is most likely due to greater generalist herbivore load on S. carolinense (through spillover from S. altissima) with microclimate variables, herbivore preference, predation pressures, and plant resistance having relatively weaker effects. Associational effects may have long-term consequences for these two plant species during plant succession and understanding context-dependent herbivory has insect pest management implication for other plant species in agriculture and forestry.

Effects of short-term grazing exclusion on plant phenology and reproductive succession in a Tibetan alpine meadow.

Grazing exclusion (GE) has been widely considered as an effective avenue for restoring degraded grasslands throughout the world. GE, via modifying abiotic and biotic environments, inevitably affects phenological development. A five-year manipulative experiment was conducted in a Tibetan alpine meadow to examine the effects of GE on phenological processes and reproductive success. The study indicated that GE strongly affected phenological development of alpine plant species. Specifically, the low-growing, shallow-rooted species (LSS), such as Kobresia pygmaea, are more sensitive to GE-caused changes on upper-soil moisture and light. GE advanced each phonological process of K. pygmaea, except in the case of the treatment of fencing for 5 years (F5), which postponed the reproductive stage and lowered the reproductive success of K. pygmaea. Increased soil moisture triggered by GE, especially in the upper soil, may stimulate growth of LSS. However, the thick litter layer under the F5 treatment can influence the photoperiod of LSS, resulting in suppression of its reproductive development. These findings indicate that plant traits associated with resource acquisition, such as rooting depth and plant height, mediate plant phenology and reproductive responses to grazing exclusion treatments.

Warming and Nitrogen Addition Alter Photosynthetic Pigments, Sugars and Nutrients in a Temperate Meadow Ecosystem.

Global warming and nitrogen (N) deposition have an important influence on terrestrial ecosystems; however, the influence of warming and N deposition on plant photosynthetic products and nutrient cycling in plants is not well understood. We examined the effects of 3 years of warming and N addition on the plant photosynthetic products, foliar chemistry and stoichiometric ratios of two dominant species, i.e., Leymus chinensis and Phragmites communis, in a temperate meadow in northeastern China. Warming significantly increased the chlorophyll content and soluble sugars in L. chinensis but had no impact on the carotenoid and fructose contents. N addition caused a significant increase in the carotenoid and fructose contents. Warming and N addition had little impact on the photosynthetic products of P. communis. Warming caused significant decreases in the N and phosphorus (P) concentrations and significantly increased the carbon (C):P and N:P ratios of L. chinensis, but not the C concentration or the C:N ratio. N addition significantly increased the N concentration, C:P and N:P ratios, but significantly reduced the C:N ratio of L. chinensis. Warming significantly increased P. communis C and P concentrations, and the C:N and C:P ratios, whereas N addition increased the C, N and P concentrations but had no impact on the stoichiometric variables. This study suggests that both warming and N addition have direct impacts on plant photosynthates and elemental stoichiometry, which may play a vital role in plant-mediated biogeochemical cycling in temperate meadow ecosystems.

Drone and Worker Brood Microclimates Are Regulated Differentially in Honey Bees, Apis mellifera.

BACKGROUND: Honey bee (Apis mellifera) drones and workers show differences in morphology, physiology, and behavior. Because the functions of drones are more related to colony reproduction, and those of workers relate to both survival and reproduction, we hypothesize that the microclimate for worker brood is more precisely regulated than that of drone brood. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We assessed temperature and relative humidity (RH) inside honey bee colonies for both drone and worker brood throughout the three-stage development period, using digital HOBO® Data Loggers. The major findings of this study are that 1) both drone and worker castes show the highest temperature for eggs, followed by larvae and then pupae; 2) temperature in drones are maintained at higher precision (smaller variance) in drone eggs and larvae, but at a lower precision in pupae than the corresponding stages of workers; 3) RH regulation showed higher variance in drone than workers across all brood stages; and 4) RH regulation seems largely due to regulation by workers, as the contribution from empty honey combs are much smaller compared to that from adult workers. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We conclude that honey bee colonies maintain both temperature and humidity actively; that the microclimate for sealed drone brood is less precisely regulated than worker brood; and that combs with honey contribute very little to the increase of RH in honey bee colonies. These findings increase our understanding of microclimate regulation in honey bees and may have implications for beekeeping practices.

[THE HYGIENIC CONDITIONS OF THE INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT OF SYLVINITE CHAMBERS OF VARIOUS MODIFICATIONS].

The performed comparative physiological-hygienic assessment of the conditions of the internal environment of salt sylvinite structures allowed to establish the complex of physical factors that have a favorable influence on the functional condition of the basic systems of the organism of patients.

The influence of pulmonary rehabilitation in the Wieliczka Salt Mine on asthma control--preliminary results.

According to asthma treatment guidelines the main goal of pulmonary rehabilitation is optimum asthma control. The Asthma Control Test (ACT) is a standardised five-item questionnaire for the assessment of asthma control. The study compares the pre- and post-treatment (subterraneotherapy) ACT score with other conventional respiratory parameters. The study included 21 patients with bronchial asthma who underwent a 3-week long subterraneotherapy programme in the 'Wieliczka' Salt Mine. The patients completed the ACT questionnaire before and 2 weeks after subterraneotherapy. At the same time, they underwent testing for concentration of nitric oxide in exhaled breath (FENO), peak expiratory flow (PEF) and spirometry. Subterraneotherapy influenced significantly the change of MEF75 (p = 0.03255) and improvement of ACT score (N = 21, p = 0.0016). The differences in other parameters were not statistically important, but in the case of FEV1 and VC parameters, the differences found were close to the statistical significance (0.05 < p < 0.10). The differences of results before and after subterraneotherapy were higher in the group assigned as patient with poor or moderate asthma control (ACT score < 20, N = 10) than in the group with good control of asthma (ACT score ≥ 20, N = 11). For parameters FEV1, VC, MEF75 and ACT score the improvement was significantly higher in the poor control group. The pulmonary rehabilitation programme combined with subterraneotherapy helps to control asthma especially in patients suffering from poorly or moderate controlled asthma.

[Our experience with the application of the speleotherapeutic treatment based at the state healthcare facility "Republican Speleotherapeutic Hospital"].

The non-medicamental therapeutic modalities find an increasingly wider application for the rehabilitation and maintenance of the health status in man. Speleotherapy is one of such methods. The Republican Speleotherapeutic Hospital of Belarus exploits the underground speleocomplex in which over 42,000 petients with respiratory diseases and allergic pathologies were given the required treatment. The clinical effectiveness of speleotherapy is estimated at 97.3%. Remission persists for 7.0±0.4 months on the average within one year after a course of speleotherapy. Repeated courses are followed by even longer periods of remission (up to 2.5-3 years). It is concluded that speleotherapy is the highly efficient method for the rehabilitation of the patients presenting with respiratory diseases and allergic pathologies.

Speleotherapy - modern bio-medical perspectives.

UNLABELLED: Speleotherapy - a special form of climatotherapy - uses certain conditions specific to caves and salt-mines to treat several medical conditions, especially respiratory and skin-related. This reduces all types of irritations and therefore disease symptoms are mitigated or fully suppressed while the patient is accommodated into the salt-mine. OBJECTIVE: Influence of microclimate in salt-mines of Turda, Dej and Cacica on morphology and electrophoretic expression of in vitro lung and skin fibroblasts acquired from the lung and hypodermic tissues of Wistar rats, in normal conditions and after ovalbumin-induced asthma, respectively after experimental injuries and burns. MATERIALS AND METHODS: skin fibroblast cultures acquired from lung and hypodermic tissue sampled from Wistar rats. Cultures acquired are developed in fibroblast monolayer attached to the culture dish. Wistar rats with weight between 75 -100 g were divided in three groups: one control group, one group with experimental asthma, one group with injuries and burns. 10 animals from each group were sent to salt-mines in Turda, Dej and Cacica for 14 days and kept in a saline environment, similar to speleotherapy. RESULTS: Speleotherapy applied to Wistar rats determined significant differences in cellular morphology and in electrophoretic expression of lung and skin fibroblasts from primary cultures. CONCLUSIONS: Results of this survey indicates that speleotherapy induces changes in morphology and protein expression of in vitro lung and skin fibroblasts, and these changes support the therapeutic effects of speleotherapy.

[The hygienic characteristic and effectiveness of the application of natural sylvinite screens for the combined treatment of the patients presenting with vulgar psoriasis].

The objective of the present study was to provide hygienic assessment of hospital wards equipped with the therapeutic sylvinite screens (TSS) and compare the results of the treatment of 80 patients suffering vulgar psoriasis with the use of TSS and without them. The sylvinite screens made it possible to create comfortable microenvironment in the wards and moderately increased the radiation background (0,15+/-0,005 Sv/hour) thereby promoting saturation of the ward atmosphere with aeroions dominated by the light negative particles (491,5+/-14,4 units/cm3). Such healthy environment hadc beneficial effect on the clinical course of the psoriatic process, the state of functional systems of the patients and their quality of life. It is concluded that the introduction of halotherapy in the treatment in patients presenting with vulgar psoriasis makes it possible to achieve clinical remission in 65% of them compared with 20% of the patients given the traditional treatment.

Dietary lipid saturation influences environmental temperature preference but not resting metabolic rate in the Djungarian Hamster (Phodopus sungorus).

Heterothermic rodents increase self-selection of diets rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) when exposed to cold, short days, or short-day melatonin profiles, and Djungarian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) do so in long days in response to cold exposure alone. To determine whether Djungarian hamsters are also capable of selecting a thermal environment in response to dietary lipid composition, continuously normothermic hamsters were fed either a PUFA-rich diet or a diet rich in saturated fatty acids (SFAs) for 6-10 wk and given a choice of thermal environments. As predicted, SFA-fed hamsters were more likely than PUFA-fed hamsters to occupy the single heated corner of their cage ([Formula: see text]) and were most likely to show this diet-related difference in behavior when T(a) fell within the thermal neutral zone. Respirometry revealed no effect of diet on whole-animal or mass-specific resting metabolic rate or on lower critical temperature. The results are more consistent with the homeoviscous adaptation hypothesis, which predicts that organisms should make physiological and/or behavioral adjustments that preserve membrane fluidity within a relatively small range, than with the membrane pacemaker hypothesis, which predicts that high PUFA content in membrane phospholipids should increase basal metabolic rate.

Elevated CO2 effects on canopy and soil water flux parameters measured using a large chamber in crops grown with free-air CO2 enrichment.

An arable crop rotation (winter barley-sugar beet-winter wheat) was exposed to elevated atmospheric CO(2) concentrations ([CO(2) ]) using a FACE facility (Free-Air CO(2) Enrichment) during two rotation periods. The atmospheric [CO(2) ] of the treatment plots was elevated to 550 ppm during daylight hours (T>5°C). Canopy transpiration (E(C) ) and conductance (G(C) ) were measured at selected intervals (>10% of total growing season) using a dynamic CO(2) /H(2) O chamber measuring system. Plant available soil water content (gravimetry and TDR probes) and canopy microclimate conditions were recorded in parallel. Averaged across both growing seasons, elevated [CO(2) ] reduced E(C) by 9%, 18% and 12%, and G(C) by 9%, 17% and 12% in barley, sugar beet and wheat, respectively. Both global radiation (Rg) and vapour pressure deficit (VPD) were the main driving forces of E(C) , whereas G(C) was mostly related to Rg. The responses of E(C) and especially G(C) to [CO(2) ] enrichment were insensitive to weather conditions and leaf area index. However, differences in LAI between plots counteracted the [CO(2) ] impact on E(C) and thus, at least in part, explained the variability of seasonal [CO(2) ] responses between crops and years. As a consequence of lower transpirational canopy water loss, [CO(2) ] enrichment increased plant available soil water content in the course of the season by ca. 15 mm. This was true for all crops and years. Lower transpirational cooling due to a [CO(2) ]-induced reduction of E(C) increased canopy surface and air temperature by up to 2 °C and 0.5 °C, respectively. This is the first study to address effects of FACE on both water fluxes at canopy scale and water status of a European crop rotation.