Microclimatic effects of tree-based infrastructures in vineyards: A multisource approach combining remote sensing and in situ measurements

Abstract

Vineyards are particularly sensitive to climatic extremes, especially heatwaves and frost events, whose frequency and intensity are increasing. At the intra-plot scale, microclimatic variability represents a potential adaptation lever, particularly through tree-based infrastructures capable of modulating radiative and thermal fluxes. This study is part of the European project ECOSPHEREWINES whose objective is to improve ecosystemic services provided by green infrastructure of viticultural landscape and aims to characterize the climatic dynamics of an experimental vineyard site and to analyse the influence of tree structures on soil temperature and moisture, as well as on vine physiological responses.

An integrated multisource approach was developed, combining drone-based thermal imaging, Sentinel-2 time series, high-resolution LiDAR modelling, and a network of temperature and humidity sensors. This strategy enables the disentangling of permanent structural effects (shading, radiative screens) from dynamic responses to climatic forcing. Spatial analyses of irradiance and sunshine duration reveal major contrasts at the intra-plot scale, with local reductions exceeding 50%, directly correlated with landscape configuration.

During summer heatwaves, partially shaded areas exhibit a relative maintenance of water-related and vegetation indices, suggesting a mitigation of thermal stress and evaporative demand. Conversely, winter thermal acquisitions highlight complex dynamics during radiative frost events, characterized by local thermal accumulation effects under tree cover and preferential cold-air flow patterns controlled by topography.

At the soil scale, measurements conducted along distance gradients from tree structures show a systematic increase in soil temperature with increasing distance from trees, particularly pronounced under high thermal constraint. Soil moisture exhibits non-linear variations, reflecting interactions among shading, reduced evaporation, and root competition. These results confirm that trees simultaneously act as microclimatic modulators and agents of hydrological resource redistribution.

Vine physiological indicators reveal significant differences between zones located near and far from tree structures, while observed trends in yield and vigour suggest a trade-off between microclimatic benefits and competitive effects.

This work demonstrates that tree-based infrastructures generate measurable and dynamic microclimatic signatures, whose effects strongly depend on spatial configuration and meteorological conditions. It highlights the value of coupled remote sensing–modelling–in situ measurement approaches for analysing microclimatic adaptation mechanisms and for optimizing the integration of tree structures into viticultural agroecosystems under climate change.