Land surface temperature and land cover dynamics. A study related to Sardinia, Italy

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6092/1970-9870/7143

Keywords:

Land surface temperature, Land cover, Regulating ecosystem services

Abstract

This study aims at analyzing analogies and differences between the spatial relations regarding land surface temperature (LST) and land covers in May and August 2019. Land cover data are drawn from the most updated spatial datasets available from Copernicus, while LST is retrieved from Landsat 8 satellite images made available by the U.S. Geological Survey. The methodology couples GIS spatial analysis and regression analysis; the latter is used to implement spatial inferential analysis as regards LST. Moreover, on the basis of a “what if” assessment, the impact of future afforestation, as regards rural areas, is detected with respect to decrease in LST, building on the outcomes of the model which relates LST to land cover types. The Sardinian region is taken as case study because its climate homogeneity and its self-containment allow for a pretty straightforward identification of the regional boundaries. The correlation between the spatial distribution of LST and land cover reveals, in the two time periods, that urbanization and the spatial dynamics of heating phenomena are closely connected. The methodology can be easily implemented in other regional contexts, and comparison of analogies and differences are quite effective and useful in identifying stylized facts and policy implications.

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Author Biographies

Federica Leone, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari

She is a building engineer, a Doctor of Research in Land Engineering (Italy, 2013), and an MSc in International Planning and Development (UK, 2012). She is currently a research fellow at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture of the University of Cagliari.

Sabrina Lai, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari

She is a civil engineer, a Doctor of Research in Land Engineering (Italy, 2009), and an MSc in International Planning and Development (UK, 2008). She is an Assistant Professor at the University of Cagliari (Sector ICAR/20 – Spatial planning), where she is presently teaching at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture of the University of Cagliari in the Graduate Program in Environmental and Territorial Engineering (module leader for the Strategic Planning course).

Corrado Zoppi, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari

He is a civil engineer, a Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (USA, 1997), a Doctor of Research in Territorial Planning (Italy, 1992), and an MSc in Economic Policy and Planning (USA, 1990). He is a Professor at the University of Cagliari (Sector ICAR/20 – Spatial planning). He is presently teaching at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Architecture of the University of Cagliari in the Undergraduate and Graduate Programs in Environmental and Territorial Engineering and in Sustainable Tourism Management and Monitoring (Regional and Urban Planning, Strategic Planning and Environmental planning).

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Published

2020-12-31

How to Cite

Leone, F., Lai, S., & Zoppi, C. (2020). Land surface temperature and land cover dynamics. A study related to Sardinia, Italy. TeMA - Journal of Land Use, Mobility and Environment, 13(3), 329–351. https://doi.org/10.6092/1970-9870/7143

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 3 (2020): The city challenges and external agents. Methods, Tools and Best Practices

Section

Focus

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