Page 17 - IJES Special Issues for AIEC2016

International Journal of Environment and Sustainability, 2016, 5(1): 1-9 7

Figure 5: Correlation between mid-day (10:30-15:30) temperature and humidity between Day
80 and Day 86

In the desert environment, as the sun rises and plots are due to biological effects of natural
strong sunlight hits the ground, air temperature curtains or due to reduced microenvironment
rapidly increases and humidity drastically air temperatures.
drops (Figure 3b). In Clitoria plots, micro-
environment humidity remained higher than In 2.5 months, small, delicate Clitoria seedlings
that of the control plot during mid-day (Figure developed into a thick, and uniform, green
4b). The mean humidity during mid-day (10:30- curtain with bright blue flowers. Observing the
15:30) in the Clitoria plots for the seven days green curtain development process in daily life
was 40.2%, while that of the control plots was will foster (among people living an urban
25.2%. The difference (15.0%) was statistically lifestyle) an awareness of the intrinsic value of
significant (t-test). A difference in humidity was nature. The effects of Clitoria green curtains on
only observed during the day time, which the microenvironment temperature are notice-
suggests that it is associated with the trans- ably higher than the effects reported in other
piration from the leaves. Correlations between studies conducted in temperate climate zones
air temperature and humidity during mid-day (Fukuda et al., 2008; Kajita, 2009), suggesting
(10:30-15:30) in Clitoria and control plots were that the implementation of the green curtain
negative and moderate (r = -0.74 and r = -0.72, project in the GCC region could have a signi-
respectively) (Figure 5). A slight shift in the ficant impact on saving energy consumption
correlation tendency was determined in Clitoria (particularly HVAC-based). In addition, since
plots. Nonetheless, data are not sufficient to Clitoria ternatea L. is a perennial species, after
determine if the higher humidity in Clitoria the first establishment of green curtains, it will

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