STUDIES ON AMENITY OF INDOOR PLANTS

In order to investigate the effects of plants on the thermal environment and comfort inside a room, the authors carried out two experiments.

Transpiration rate, stomatal resistance and shading ratio of eight types of ornamental foliage plants were measured.
Transpiration rates of Schefflera arboricola ‘Hong Kong’ were more than those of the other plants.
The transpiration rate of Dracaena fragrans ‘Massangeana’ was very little through the daytime.
Shading ratios, except S. arboricola ‘Hong Kong’ and Epipremnum aureum, approached 1.0 according to increase in the angle of incident light.

Furthermore, the authors made an experimental analysis of the effect of plants on the thermal environment and comfort inside rooms where ornamental foliage plants were placed.
Ornamental foliage plants used in the experiments were S. arboricola ‘Hong Kong’ and D. fragrans ‘Massangeana.’ It was found that air temperature in the room with S. arboricola ‘Hong Kong’ was higher than in the room without plants.
Relative humidity in the room which was interspersed with S. arboricola ‘Hong Kong’ showed the same increase as that where S. arboricola ‘Hong Kong’ plants were placed in line at the southern end of the room.
With regard to thermal comfort, there was some difference between MRT (mean radiant temperature) in the two rooms, but little difference was found about PMV (predicted mean vote). PMV is an index which is considered to express thermal comfort for human beings and is commonly used in environmental engineering inside rooms (ISO7730, 1984).

Horticulture in Human life, Culture and Environment

H. Asaumi, H. Nishina, Y. Hashimoto

Amenity, Ornamental foliage plants, Thermal environment, Thermal comfort, Transpiration, Shading ratio

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1995.391.9