The influence of canopy on the amount of light under the canopy shade

Thailand is in a hot climate. As a result, Thailand has high temperatures and strong sunlight all year round which tends to have more heat in Thailand every year. The strong sunlight can burn the body’s skin, so most people avoid direct exposure to sunlight. Therefore, most people opt for air conditioning to help alleviate hot weather. On the other hand, in landscape architecture, it is found that using shade of trees to reduce the intensity of sunlight and the heat from the sun is effective. Therefore, planting trees for shade is essential to reduce the amount of sunlight and direct heat from the sun. It will also reduce the heat accumulation of the concrete walls of the building, which makes the building cool all day and will save on electricity bills. Planting trees for shade is a great way to protect them from the heat of the sun. This research project is interested in studying the influence of tree canopy on the amount of light under the canopy by selecting 60 kinds of ornamental trees planted in the park for two groups: perennial and shrub. Light intensity measurements under a canopy are performed using the LI-250A light meter. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. The results of the experiment showed that the intensity of the light under the canopy of the tree groups compared to the light intensity outside the canopy. It was found that the perennial group had the highest light intensity under the canopy at 48.64%, namely Tabebuia argentea Britton and the lowest light intensity under the canopy at 1.04%, namely Melodorum fruticosum Lour. The group of shrubs had the highest light intensity under the canopy at 9.14%, namely the Tecoma stans (L.) Kunth, and the lowest light intensity under the canopy at 3.32%, namely the Dracaena cochinchinensis (Lour.) S.C. Chen. This information will make it easier for interested people who plant shade trees to have information in deciding on tree types for shade.