Shade is the blocking ofsunlight (in particular direct sunshine) by any object, and also the shadow created by that object. It may refer to blocking of sunlight by aroof, atree, anumbrella, awindow shade or blind,wall,curtains, or other objects.

Intemperate andtropical zones (most places on Earth), shade is an important issue in providing cooling and shelter fromharmful heat andultraviolet emitted by the Sun.

Green plants produce shade by absorbing sunlight to invest as energy inphotosynthesis to producesugar. They also activelytranspire, producing an additional cooling effect.

In gardening terms, there are various types of shade:

• Full sun – more than five hours of direct sun per day.
• Part shade – two to five hours of direct sun, or all-daydappled sun (sunlight shining through open trees).
• Full shade – less than two hours of direct sun per day.

Under a dense forestcanopy,light intensity can be very low. Specialadaptations produce theshade tolerance that allows plants to survive in theunderstory.In addition, shade within a canopy can elicit shade avoidance responses whereby plants elongate theirshoots in order to reach light for optimalphotosynthesis.^[1]

• Shade tree, a large tree that provides shade