The impact of tree cover loss on land surface temperature: A case study of central Massachusetts using Landsat Thematic Mapper thermal data

Land surface temperature (LST) variability results from diversity in urban surface materials over space and time such that locations with impervious urban cover experience higher temperature and larger temperature variation compared to non-impervious cover. There is growing awareness that warmer temperatures in urban locations negatively impact city residents by increasing heat related death and energy usage during heat waves. However, little previous work investigates the linkages between urban tree cover loss events related to invasive species eradication and urban heat trends. This paper examines the variation in LST using Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper (TM) thermal imagery in Worcester County, Massachusetts where over 30,000 trees were removed since 2008 to eradicate the invasive Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB), most of which existed in urban residential areas. Throughout the study area a 10% loss in tree canopy cover caused a 0.7 °C increase in LST whereas a 10% increase in sub-canopy impervious surface area exposed due to tree loss caused 1.66 °C increase in LST. The Burncoat and Greendale neighborhoods in northern Worcester experienced a combined 48% tree cover loss from 2008 to 2010 due to ALB eradication and an average relative LST increase of 2.4 °C (range 0.6–4.1 °C). Given that areas with an increase in exposed impervious surface produce greater temperature increases than areas of tree loss, future tree replanting efforts may focus on locations that reduce exposed impervious surfaces.     

Conflation and aggregation of spatial data improve predictive models for species with limited habitats: A case of the threatened yellow-billed cuckoo in Arizona,USA

Riparian vegetation provides important wildlife habitat in the southwestern United States, but limited distributions and spatial complexity often leads to inaccurate representation in maps used to guide conservation. We test the use of data conflation and aggregation on multiple vegetation/land-cover maps to improve the accuracy of habitat models for the threatened western yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus occidentalis). We used species observations (n = 479) from a state-wide survey to develop habitat models from 1) three vegetation/land-cover maps produced at different geographic scales ranging from state to national, and 2) new aggregate maps defined by the spatial agreement of cover types, which were defined as high (agreement = all data sets), moderate (agreement ≥ 2), and low (no agreement required). Model accuracies, predicted habitat locations, and total area of predicted habitat varied considerably, illustrating the effects of input data quality on habitat predictions and resulting potential impacts on conservation planning. Habitat models based on aggregated and conflated data were more accurate and had higher model sensitivity than original vegetation/land-cover, but this accuracy came at the cost of reduced geographic extent of predicted habitat. Using the highest performing models, we assessed cuckoo habitat preference and distribution in Arizona and found that major watersheds containing high-probably habitat are fragmented by a wide swath of low-probability habitat. Focus on riparian restoration in these areas could provide more breeding habitat for the threatened cuckoo, offset potential future habitat losses in adjacent watershed, and increase regional connectivity for other threatened vertebrates that also use riparian corridors.     

An Analysis of Thermal Stress of Climate in Hong Kong

The universal scale of apparent temperature (AT) and clo, a unit measuring the amount of clothing insulation required to maintain comfort, were used to examine the weather stress in Hong Kong. Hourly AT and clo values were computed using hourly air temperature, wind speed, vapour pressure and cloud cover data from 1980 to 1994. Results of both AT and clo reflected highly corresponding changes of thermal stress. It is found that the most stressful time in winter and summer occurred in the early morning and afternoon, and cool weather and tropical ensembles were required to surmount the extreme weather stress respectively. A greater percent of time with severe heat stress than those with extreme cold stress was discovered. These results also indicated that clo is a more informative weather stress index than AT since it provides both the thermal stress and clothing requirements to sustain comfort.     

城市化对北京市极端气候的影响研究

利用北京地区20个气象站点35年（1980—2014年）的逐日降水、气温资料和社会经济、人口、土地覆被以及夜间灯光遥感的栅格数据,通过聚类分析和层次分析相结合的方法将站点分类,对北京市城市化进程中的极端气候变化趋势和城市化影响的响应进行了分析。结果表明：北京市整体的极端冷事件呈减少趋势,极端暖事件呈增加趋势,极端降水事件没有明显变化趋势;城市化对极端温度事件有着显著的影响,相对于乡村站点来说,城市化使得极端冷事件减少的更快,极端暖事件增加的更快,造成城市的气温日较差明显变小;城市化对极端降水的影响虽不显著,但在乡村站点年降水量总量和降水日数减小的趋势下,城市化造成城市降水总量和降水日数均多于乡村,减缓了连续无降水日数的增长趋势,同时城市的极端降水有向更加极端的情景发展。     

Increases in fire risk due to warmer summer temperatures and wildland urban interface changes do not necessarily lead to more fires

Forest fire frequency in Mediterranean countries is expected to increase with land cover and climate changes as temperatures rise and rainfall patterns are altered. Although the cause of many Mediterranean fires remains poorly defined, most fires are of anthropogenic origin and are located in the wildland urban interface (WUI), so fire ignition risk depends on both weather and land cover characteristics. The objectives of this study were to quantify the overall trends in forest fire risk in the WUI of the Alpes-Maritimes department in SE France over a period of almost 50 years (about 1960–2009) and relate these to changes in land cover and temperature changes. Land cover for two contrasting reference catchments (236 km² and 289 km², respectively) was mapped from available aerial photographs. Changes in fire risk over time were estimated using statistical relationships defined for each type of WUI, where isolated and scattered housing present a greater risk than dense and very dense housing. Summer monthly temperatures and spring and summer precipitation were quantified over the same temporal period as land cover. Finally, trends in fire frequency and burned area were analyzed over a shorter 37 year period (1973–2009) due to the lack of available fire data before 1973. Fire risk associated with WUI expansion increased by about 18%–80% over the 1960–2009 period (depending on the catchment). Similarly, mean summer minimum and maximum monthly temperatures increased by 1.8 °C and 1.4 °C, respectively, over the same period. Summer rainfall appears to decrease over time since about the 1970's but remains highly variable. Land cover and weather changes both suggest an overall increase in fire risk. However, the number of fires and burned area have decreased significantly since about 1990. This paradoxical result is due to a change in fire-fighting strategy which reinforced the systematic extinction of fires in their early stages. Technical support in the form of improved radio communication and helicopters contributed greatly to reducing fire frequency and burned area. Surveillance and legal reforms included the introduction of field patrols and restricted access to forests during high risk periods. Although this has proven highly successful in the short term, the risk of fuel load accumulation over time remains a risk which might contribute to the development of mega-fires in extreme climatic conditions in the future.     

Scales and arrangements of large wood in first- through fifth-order streams of the Blue Ridge Mountains

Large wood frequency and volume were examined as a function of landscape characteristics at different spatial and temporal scales in 50 reaches of the Upper Little Tennessee River basin with drainage areas ranging from 0.3 to 30.1 km². Riparian forest cover was described laterally at the reach scale and longitudinally 1 km upstream in all tributaries. Riparian cover was analyzed with geomorphic and additional landscape variables to isolate factors that most influence wood in streams. Forested area immediately surrounding the reach was the strongest predictor of wood frequency and volume, although upstream riparian cover can explain additional variation in wood distributions. An optimal forested buffer width around the stream for large wood was not evident. The relationship between the riparian forest and wood weakens in bigger channels, as fluvial transport of pieces increases. Resurveys demonstrate that large wood is most dynamic in wide, forested reaches and changes function during floods to store sediment and organic matter.     

Light responses of Carex planostachys from various microsites in a Juniperus community

Juniperus communities are found on over 50 × 10⁶ ha in arid and semiarid habitats in southwestern North America. The drought tolerant sedge Carex planostachys occurs below the canopy in some of these communities. Cover and biomass of C. planostachys are high below the canopy and low in associated gaps. The purposes of this study were to investigate the temporal and spatial physiologic response of C. planostachys to abiotic changes, and determine it's light response characteristics from four contiguous microsites. Net photosynthesis was highest in spring when temperature was cooler and soil water higher, but low carbon uptake continued during summer drought. In addition, C. planostachys demonstrates a capacity to recover from extreme drought, despite water potential measured below ?9.0 MPa. Based on physiological light response curves and gas-exchange measurements, C. planostachys appears tolerant of shaded and full sun habitats. Light levels below the canopy were reduced compared to the gaps, but light saturation of C. planostachys did not change and net CO₂ uptake was only reduced slightly. Carbon uptake was coupled to light levels and not soil moisture. Observed differences in physiological attributes and variation in C. planostachys cover and biomass correspond to the presence or absence of the canopy. Low light compensation points, coupled with reduced respiratory demand, maximize photosynthetic gain in low light microsites. C. planostachys appears to acclimate across a range of light regimes, suggesting photosynthetic plasticity, allowing growth and survival in diverse light microhabitats. C. planostachys, tolerant of drought, appears anisohydric and demonstrates a capacity to acclimate to sun and shaded habitats, which could allow it to occur across a wider range of arid areas.     

东北气候和生态过渡区近50年来降水和温度概率分布特征变化

文章从中国160个站的观测资料中选取位于东北气候和生态过渡区内9个测站的冬、夏季降水和温度资料,分析该地区近50年来冬夏季降水和温度的年际变化及其概率分布特征,结果表明,东北气候和生态过渡区的冬夏季降水和温度有明显的年代际变化特征,在不同的年代际变化阶段,降水和温度的总体概率分布特征差异较大,这种概率分布形式的差异与高温、干旱等极端天气气候事件的频繁发生具有密切关系。20世纪80年代以来降水处于平均值减小的总体分布中,温度则处于平均值增加的总体分布中,因此该地区冬季发生暖冬和少雨(雪)的机会增大,夏季出现严重干旱和高温的可能性增大。     

Combined vegetation volume and “greenness” affect urban air temperature

Cities are often substantially warmer than their surrounding rural areas. This ‘urban heat island effect’ can negatively affect the health of urban residents, increase energy usage, and alter ecological processes. While the effect of land use and land cover on urban heat islands has been extensively studied, little is known about the role of vegetation volume or built-area volume about this phenomenon. We ask whether the 3-dimensional structure of urban landscapes influences variations in temperature across a city. Using heights-above-ground information derived from LiDAR data and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) calculated from multispectral (4 band: Blue, Green, Red, and Near Infrared) aerial images, we estimated vegetation volume and built-area volume (non-vegetated) in Chicago, Illinois (USA). Daily minimum temperature data were obtained from 36 weather stations for summer 2011. The differences in urban air temperature across the study area were as large as 3 °C. Maximum likelihood models indicated that a combination of NDVI and vegetation volume best predicted nighttime temperature in Chicago, and that vegetation growing within 250–500 m of the weather station was most influential. Our results indicate that vegetation in “the matrix”, i.e. the area outside parks and preserves, is important in temperature mitigation since the majority of the vegetation volume in the study area occurs within residential, commercial/industrial, and institutional land uses. However, open space, which covers only 15% of the study area, has nearly as much total vegetation volume as residential land, which covers 61% of the study area. Clearly, both large wooded parks within a city and large trees scattered across residential areas are needed to best mitigate the urban heat island effect.     

Geomorphic effects of rural-to-urban land use conversion on three streams in the Central Redbed Plains of Oklahoma

This research evaluates the impact of rural-to-urban land use conversion on channel morphology and riparian vegetation for three streams in the Central Redbed Plains geomorphic province (central Great Plains ecoregion) of Oklahoma. The Deep Fork Creek watershed is largely urbanized; the Skeleton Creek watershed is largely rural; and the Stillwater Creek watershed is experiencing a rapid transition from rural to urban land cover. Each channel was divided into reaches based on tributary junctions, sinuosity, and slope. Field surveys were conducted at transects in a total of 90 reaches, including measurements of channel units, channel cross-section at bankfull stage, and riparian vegetation. Historical aerial photographs were available for only Stillwater Creek watershed, which were used to document land cover in this watershed, especially changes in the extent of urban areas (impervious cover).The three streams have very low gradients (< 0.001), width-to-depth ratios < 10, and cohesive channel banks, but have incised into red Permian shales and sandstone. The riparian vegetation is dominated by cottonwoods, ash, and elm trees that provide a dense root mat on stream banks where the riparian vegetation is intact. Channels increased in width and depth in the downstream direction as is normally expected, but the substrate materials and channel units remained unchanged. Statistical analyses demonstrated that urbanization did not explain spatial patterns of changes in any variables. These three channels in the central Redbed Plains are responding as flumes during peak flows, funneling runoff and the wash-load sediment downstream in major runoff events without any effect on channel dimensions. Therefore, local geological conditions (similar bedrock, cohesive substrates and similar riparian vegetation) are mitigating the effects of urbanization.     

城市土地利用/覆盖变化与热环境生态调控研究进展与展望

城市土地利用/覆盖变化(LUCC)与热环境生态调控是城市生态学和城市气候适应性关注的热点问题。在提出城市LUCC/空间结构与生态服务热调节功能连接的重要性的基础上,综述了城市土地利用变化、城市绿色基础设施在热岛减缓和气候适应性发挥的作用,评述了观测实验、定量遥感和过程模型方面以及热调控的进展情况。基于此认为,局地或区域尺度城市高精度结构组分高精度遥感探测方法、城市高精度下垫面多尺度(功能区/覆盖组分/构造或材质等)对局地气温和辐射能量平衡影响机理和定量贡献识别、城市生态系统热调节功能的城市地表结构组分调控阈值确定、以及区域或全球尺度城市土地利用/覆盖变化影响的生物地球物理机制定量化认知等,是未来重要的发展方向。     

Riparian plant species richness along lateral and longitudinal gradients of water stress and flood disturbance, San Pedro River, Arizona, USA

Diversity theory predicts that species numbers should be highest at intermediate levels of both disturbance and environmental stress. We examined woody and herbaceous plant species richness and cover in the San Pedro River flood plain, along lateral gradients of water availability (ground-water depth), flood disturbance (inundation frequency), and distance from and elevation above the channel, and along longitudinal gradients of water availability (ground-water depth, surface flow permanence, and rainfall) and flood disturbance (total stream power). Herbaceous species were recorded during four sampling periods, and spatial patterns for this group were time-dependent, reflecting temporal variation in limiting factors. During the summer dry season of a dry year, when overall richness was low, richness and cover of herbaceous species declined laterally from the stream channel with increasing ground-water depth, consistent with the idea that low resource levels can limit species richness. Following the summer monsoon rains and floods, when water was less limiting and annuals were seasonally abundant, lateral patterns shifted such that herbaceous species richness and cover increased with increasing plot location above or from the channel. The relationship of herbaceous species richness with tree canopy cover also varied seasonally, shifting from positive (greater richness under canopy) in dry seasons to negative (lesser richness under canopy) in wet seasons. Longitudinally, herbaceous species richness and cover were limited primarily by stream flow and/or ground-water availability during the summer dry season of a dry year. Following the summer monsoon rains and floods, patterns were weighted by the seasonally abundant annuals, and richness increased among sites primarily with distance upstream (and related rainfall gradients). Richness and cover patterns also varied between years with different flood conditions. During the two sampling seasons in the year following a large flood, herbaceous species richness increased with flood disturbance intensity but declined at the few most intensely disturbed sites, consistent with intermediate disturbance theory.For woody species, richness within plant functional groups varied in opposing ways along the lateral gradients: hydromesic pioneer species decreased and hydromesic and xeric competitors increased with distance from or above the channel, with no overall change in species richness. Among sites, woody species richness patterns were related to water availability, but not to flood disturbance. However, richness of woody hydromesic pioneer species increased with both increasing site moisture and flood disturbance. Woody and herbaceous species richness both increased among sites as a function of increasing flood-plain width, likely due to species–area effects. Overall, results indicate that flood disturbance and water availability both influence species richness of riparian plants in the flood plain of this semi-arid region river, with the relative influence of each factor varying among plant groups and over time.     

内蒙古大兴安岭林区极端气温事件变化特征

利用内蒙古大兴安岭林区11个气象站1971~2014年日平均气温数据,采用线性趋势、Morlet小波分析、克里金插值法对内蒙古大兴安岭林区极端气温的年变化进行分析。研究表明：极端高温天气和生物生长季天数在20世纪80年代中期以后呈显著增多趋势,极端低温天气呈显著减少趋势;在空间分布上,所有站点极端高温天气和生物生长季天数呈上升趋势,极端低温天气呈下降趋势,但空间差异明显。极端低温天气主要受27、18、11、7 a时间尺度周期影响。极端高温天气28 a左右周期振荡最为强烈,视为第一主周期,对极端高温天气影响最为显著,在2018年以后的大约8 a间（2019~2026年）极端高温天气可能会更加频繁。生物生长季受28 a时间尺度周期影响,且在2015~2022年生物生长季天数增长处于偏大期。     

Elevated air temperatures in riparian ecosystems along ephemeral streams: The role of housing density

The semiarid southwestern United States is an area of rapid population growth. Urban development is encroaching upon many ecosystems, including riparian areas. Because most stream miles in the southwestern United States occur along ephemeral streams, recognizing how these ecosystems are affected by increasing urban land covers is imperative. In this study, we recorded air temperature at 30 cm above the ground surface within riparian ecosystems along nine ephemeral stream reaches in three levels of housing density: High Density (HD: >13 houses/hectare); Moderate Density (MD: 4–8 houses/hectare); Low Density (LD: <1 house/hectare) for two years in a rapidly growing city in southern Arizona. Annual and seasonal average diurnal 30-min air temperatures for each treatment show that HD air temperatures were consistently higher than LD and MD temperatures (∼0.5–1.5 °C) during the late-evening/early-morning and midday hours. Winter temperatures had the largest differences between HD and LD sites, as much as 1.4 °C. Because physiological activity in these riparian ecosystems is largely temperature-dependent, temperature shifts associated with increased housing density could result in major ecosystem changes in these semiarid areas.     

1960-2017年渭河流域极端气温变化及其对区域增暖的响应

基于逐日最高和最低气温,计算1960-2017年渭河流域16项极端气温指数,发现近58 a 渭河流域极端冷指数（冰冻日数、霜冻日数、冷夜日数、冷昼日数和冷持续指数）呈下降趋势,极端暖指数（夏日日数、热夜日数、暖昼日数、暖夜日数、作物生长期和热持续指数）呈上升趋势,特别是20世纪80年代后上升速率明显加快。流域半干旱区对气候变暖的响应更敏感,主要体现在白天温度增高以及冰冻和霜冻日数减少,而半湿润区主要为夜间增暖。相比1960-2003年,2004-2017年流域平均温度升高1.75℃,暖夜/暖昼日数增加10.99/6.79 d,而霜冻/冷夜日数减少8.71/2.35 d。分析发现地形条件是影响流域极端气温空间差异的重要因素。在流域半干旱区,冷夜和冷昼日数的快速减少,有利于农作物的生长。而在相对湿度较大的半湿润区,随着夏季连续高温天气增多,高温热浪事件的危害更大。     

Predicting air temperature simultaneously for multiple locations in an urban environment: A bottom up approach

Cities are characterized by high heterogeneity that results in varied microclimate effects. The current study introduces a new bottom–up approach linking the urban Canyon Air Temperature (CAT) model with spatially distributed inputs extracted from a GIS data-base and remote sensing products to predict intra-urban temperature variability simultaneously for multiple locations in an urban environment. To provide proof of concept, the model was applied for the city of Bat-Yam, Israel. Simulation shows a maximum nighttime urban heat island (UHI) intensity of 2–2.25 °C, relative to a rural reference point, during both summer and winter, with significant spatial variability related to the height-to-width ratio of urban street canyons and to the surface land cover. The CAT simulation also highlighted the important influence of the local wind regime on the development and persistence of the nocturnal UHI. We conclude that linking CAT to a GIS data-base supports simulations at the city scale that reflect the local intra-urban variability. The model can be used to investigate both macro and micro scale spatio-temporal characteristics of the UHI in various urban development scenarios, which may be applied to generate appropriate geographically-explicit mitigation and adaptation measures.     

Effects of seasonal heat on the activity rhythm,habitat use,and space use of the beira antelope in southern Djibouti

In hot, arid environments, non-burrowing mammals are at risk of overheating and dehydration, so human-induced reduction in thermal cover may constitute a threat for their survival. We studied the daytime activity rhythm, habitat use, and space use of the beira (Dorcatragus megalotis), a threatened antelope living in arid hills of the Horn of Africa, where tree cover is shrinking because of logging, and overgrazing by livestock. During the cool season (Nov.–Mar.; mean midday temperature: 28.5 °C), beira did not particularly seek shade, and alternated in the course of the day between short phases of activity and rest (median duration in Dec.–Feb.: 57.5 and 42.5 min, respectively). In contrast, during the hot season (May–Sep.; mean midday temperature: 39.1 °C), beira often foraged in a hill's shade, and midday resting phases were especially long (median duration in May–Jul.: 280 min) and spent in the shade of trees, or of rock shelters when available in the home range. Because of reduced diurnal movements when temperature was high, beira home ranges were smaller during the hot than during the cool season (mean ± SE: 0.25 ± 0.05 km² in May–Jul. vs 0.42 ± 0.10 km² in Dec.–Feb.). Whatever the season, beira mainly used areas supporting trees. The obtained results suggest that the decrease of tree cover in the areas inhabited by the beira constitutes a threat for the species survival.     

THERMAL BEHAVIOR OF URBAN LANDSCAPES AND THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND

The cause or causes of urban heat islands have puzzled scientists for more than a century. Investigators have observed a close relation between urban land cover and urban temperature patterns. A proposed explanation of this relation is that the thermal inertia of urban surfaces is larger than rural interface thermal inertia. However, recent METROMEX and remote sensor satellite observations do not appear to support this view. The thermal inertia model of the urban interface ignores urban canopy structure and composition. Specifically the hollow structure of buildings reduces the thermal mass and thus the apparent thermal inertia of these structures compared with pavements. Numerical modeling results of the thermal behavior of a two-layer interface and aircraft far-infrared remote sensor observations of urban landscapes demonstrate the differential thermal behavior of buildings versus pavements. Accounting for the structure and configuration of urban canopies explains observed urban landscape thermal behavior and should assist in explaining the urban heat island phenomenon.     

北京城市通风廊道研究I: 环境效应模拟

采用耦合城市冠层模式UCM的中尺度气象模式WRF,利用北京市高分辨率地表类型、城市建筑及通风廊道规划方案等资料,针对2019年冬季和夏季各开展了为期 1个月的百米尺度高分辨率敏感性模拟试验,并应用自动气象站网观测数据进行了验证。模拟试验结果表明：引入通风廊道后气象要素差异不仅限于廊道区,而是在整个研究区域都有体现。模拟的地面风速明显增大,热岛强度减弱,风的平流效应导致热岛范围发生偏移。引入廊道后北京城区月平均气温下降了0.14~0.17℃,平均风速及相对湿度分别增加了0.32~0.36 m/s和2.02%~3.37%。表明通风廊道对于改善城市密集区的风热环境,提高气候舒适性是有效的,背景风速越大,通风廊道的缓解效应越明显。气象要素差异的日变化分布显示,通风廊道对白天气象要素的影响要大于夜间。进一步分析显示,通风廊道对局地气象要素的影响主要来自于风速增大的平流效应及下垫面湍流通量改善两方面的贡献。     

陕西榆林地区1954-2013年极端气温变化特征

对1954-2013年横山站、榆林站、绥德站的每日气象资料,运用线性拟合及累积距平、Mann-Kendall突变检验、主成分分析和Morlet复数小波等方法对WMO发布的10种极端气温指数进行了计算和分析。结果表明：榆林地区近60年极端最高气温、极端最低气温都呈上升趋势,冰日天数、霜日天数、冷夜天数、冷日天数呈下降趋势,夏日天数、热夜天数、暖夜天数、暖日天数呈现稳步上升趋势。近60年,榆林市极端气温的变化存在明显的阶段特征,并有突变现象发生。各指数的突变主要发生在20世纪90年代。暖指数的变化是榆林地区近60年气温呈上升趋势的主要原因。榆林地区冬春季气温升高是年平均气温上升的主要原因。33 a左右的周期是10个指数比较稳定的周期,共同反映榆林地区极端天气的周期规律。极端暖指标在未来持续上升,极端冷指标则持续下降。研究区极端高温天气增加,会导致旱灾等极端天气增加的概率,并对森林防火产生一定的压力。极端低温天数的减少导致易发生森林和草原的病虫灾害,应做好预防工作。