Papers · BEST Academy

Plants, water and sun

Las Vegas Native Species Climate Matrix: A Scoring Framework for Plant Selection Under 2030 and 2040 Climate ProjectionsThe science behind the climate matrix on this site.Download PDF Find on ResearchGate ↗
Arctomecon (Bear Poppy) Chill Hours and the Historical Climate of Las VegasDownload PDF Read on ResearchGate ↗
Optimal Irrigation Timing and Practices for Desert Landscapes in Las Vegas, NevadaDownload PDF Find on ResearchGate ↗
Absolute Humidity as an Accessible Microclimate Metric: The Vapor-Pressure-Deficit Pathway to Leaf-Margin Scorch in Arid LandscapesPlain-language version: “Why Leaves Burn at the Edges in the Desert.”Download PDF Plain-language version (PDF)Find on ResearchGate ↗
UV Brightening and Plant Damage in Las VegasDownload PDF Read on ResearchGate ↗
A Proposed UV Energy Definition of Full SunDownload PDF Find on ResearchGate ↗
Quantifying Cumulative Ultraviolet Radiation Dose in Desert Microclimates: A Gaussian Model and Peak-Weighted Shade Factor Classification System for the Las Vegas ValleyRobert C. Brandys and Gail M. Brandys.Download PDF Read on ResearchGate ↗
Quantitative UV and Sunlight Exposure Mapping for Climate-Adapted Urban Landscaping in Las Vegas, NevadaFind on ResearchGate ↗
Facilitation Ecology and Engineered Microclimate Design: Applying the Stress Gradient Hypothesis to Residential Desert LandscapesDownload PDF Find on ResearchGate ↗
Evapotranspiration Trapping at Low Atmospheric Levels: A Thermodynamic Analysis of Residential Microclimate CoolingDownload PDF Find on ResearchGate ↗

Heat in the city

Residential Roof Color, Attic Heat Discharge, and Anthropogenic Heat Loading in the Las Vegas Valley AirshedDownload PDF Read on ResearchGate ↗
Residential Heat Pump Adoption and Nocturnal Atmospheric Cooling in the Las Vegas ValleyDownload PDF Read on ResearchGate ↗
Rooftop Photovoltaics and the Urban Heat Island in the Las Vegas ValleyDownload PDF Find on ResearchGate ↗
Electric Vehicle Adoption and Transport-Related Anthropogenic Heat in the Urban Heat Island: A First-Order Engineering Assessment for Las Vegas, NevadaDownload PDF Read on ResearchGate ↗

Climate history of the Southwest

Las Vegas Climate Change and Its Relationship to the California Central ValleyDownload PDF Read on ResearchGate ↗
Anthropogenic Climate Forcing in the American Southwest: From the Colorado River Compact to the Modern MegadroughtDownload PDF Find on ResearchGate ↗
Post-Younger Dryas Climate Evolution of the American Southwest: 12,800 Years of Natural Variability from Megadrought to the Colorado River CompactDownload PDF Find on ResearchGate ↗
Hurricane-Driven Erosion and Coupled Isostatic Dynamics of the Grand Canyon–Gulf of California System: A Quantitative Model for Pliocene Landscape EvolutionDownload PDF Find on ResearchGate ↗

Air and health

Combustion Aerosols as an Underrecognized Contributor to the Twentieth-Century Coronary Heart Disease EpidemicDownload PDF Find on ResearchGate ↗
Fine Particulate Air Pollution (PM2.5) and Violent Behavior: A Review of Emerging EvidenceDownload PDF Find on ResearchGate ↗
Chronic Low-Level VOC Exposure from Fragranced Consumer Products: Neurological Effects and Cognitive Decline. A Systematic ReviewDownload PDF Find on ResearchGate ↗
Atmospheric Diffusion of Coal Smoke and Its Relationship to Consumption Mortality in London and Vegetation Damage in France, c. 1654–1665Download PDF Find on ResearchGate ↗

Papers and working papers

Plants, water and sun

Heat in the city

Climate history of the Southwest

Air and health