2010 Volume 73 Issue 5 Pages 407-412
Turf surface moisture (TSM) of Polytrichum commune Hedw.,stretched in traditional moss gardens of Kyoto,would be affected by urban climate.TSM was measured for a total number of 33 days with microclimate observation in naturally cultivated habitat in a campus of Kyoto University.The mean TSM was 13.2 g m-2 among 28 no-rainfall days while there was only 5 days when it exceeded over 21.1 g m-2, which value is the total that standard deviation (7.9 g m-2) added to the mean value in the dry period.Relatively higher TSM for the dry period can occur due to water droplet formation process on leaves by nocturnal radiation after increases of turf humidity and soil moisture by rainfall, named as Rainfall-Distillation Process (RDP), in these 5 days. Positive photosynthesis condition may appear on account of simultaneous presence of both higher TSM and bright sunlight at clear morning with RDP. We concluded that it is more necessary to preserve and maintain moss-suited microclimate condition related to RDP. The control method of horizontal wind and vertical space, neither to blend inner and outside air nor to disturb accumulation of calm cool air mass, should be recognized to develop for moss gardens surrounded with urban changing climate.
