Quantifying shade using a standard environment

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to quantify the thermal microclimate provided by a shade structure in the African elephant enclosure at Zoo Atlanta. The hypothesis was that the interior of a weather instrument shelter (a Stevenson screen) would provide the maximum environmental shielding and the coolest possible ambient conditions without artificial heating or cooling. The ambient conditions inside the Stevenson screen were compared with the ambient conditions in the shaded and nonshaded sections of the exhibit to quantify the extremes possible under the environmental conditions. The Stevenson screen reduced the radiant heat load by 766 W m−2. The shade structure in the elephant enclosure reduced the radiant heat load by 278 W m−2, which was 37% of the total possible reduction represented by the interior of the Stevenson screen. The longwave radiant heat was 10% greater in the direct sun and 37% greater in the shaded area than the shortwave radiant heat. The shade structure reduced the shortwave radiant heat by 254 W m−2 or 43%, but only reduced the longwave radiant heat by 24Wm−2 or 3%. Shade structures alone may not provide adequate protection from radiant heat for captive species. A cool microclimate in an artificial enclosure should be designed to reduce all sources of radiant heat. Zoo Biol 22:253–260, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.