Frequent increases in temperature and related consequences have been the trending phenomenon for over ten decades, with a general rise of about 0.740C. This study evaluates the effects of different percentage covers of tree canopies for outdoor thermal improvement of campus areas in Bauchi, Nigeria. Firstly, the study involves on-site measurement of existing features on the site and the climatic conditions. Secondly, performing simulation for evaluation of the plant-surface-atmosphere interactions with Envi-met Version 4.4.2. The vegetation effects were evaluated for outdoor air temperature and mean radiant temperature (MRT) reduction. It is found that the maximum air temperature reduction of 3.380C and 24.240C of MRT were achieved with up to 45% tree canopy coverage. The mean air temperature and MRT reduction of 0.630C and 4.800C were respectively achieved with the same percentage coverage of the canopies. However, it was found that the thermal reduction effects of vegetation do not apply to every hour of the day. In essence, proper planning and implementation of campus outdoor spaces is the key factor in improving its thermal conditions. Thus, adhering to the practical recommendations bring a significant improvement in ameliorating the rise in atmospheric temperature on campus outdoors.

The studies on vertical greenery systems are increasing due to its presence in technology and research that are composed with sustainable approaches. The remarkable functions of vertical greenery systems comprise of facilitating urban adaptation to a warm climate, reducing internal wall temperatures, and mitigating building energy consumption. Apart from it’s benefits for the environment, it is also visually appealing and promotes healthier air quality. There are two major methods in constructing vertical greenery systems; ground-based system and wall-based system of vegetation. This paper disseminates plants with a passive cooling character as it helps cool the air and buildings on which it is installed, naturally. Approximately 46 articles were reviewed from multidisciplinary fields such as that of renewable and sustainable energy, plant physiology, ecological engineering, and built environment. This paper focuses on experimentations, simulations and case studies, which were conducted in a few university campuses to investigate thermal regulation feature of vertical greenery systems. Building effects were evaluated time-dependently for different cases and the results were thoroughly compared according to researchers’ observations on the methodologies. Regions and climate conditions of tropical, Mediterranean, and oceanic were also considered within the scope of this research as independent variables. As a result of the meta-analysis, thermal reduction was achieved based on several factors including physiology of plants and vertical greenery system’s classifications. Hence, this paper suggests VGS has capability to enhance strategies of the urban heat island mitigation in order to improve thermal performances in campus building.

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