Biophysical effects of croplands on land surface temperature

Chi Chen; Yang Li; Xuhui Wang; Xiangzhong Luo; Yue Li; Yu Cheng; Zhe Zhu

doi:10.1038/s41467-024-55319-2

Biophysical effects of croplands on land surface temperature

Nat Commun. 2024 Dec 30;15(1):10901. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-55319-2.

Authors

Chi Chen^#¹, Yang Li^#², Xuhui Wang³, Xiangzhong Luo², Yue Li⁴, Yu Cheng⁵, Zhe Zhu⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resource, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA. [email protected].
² Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
³ Sino-French Institute for Earth System Science, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.
⁴ Department of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁵ Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
⁶ Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Converting natural vegetation to croplands alters the local land surface energy budget. Here, we use two decades of satellite data and a physics-based framework to analyse the biophysical mechanisms by which croplands influence daily mean land surface temperature (LST). Globally, 60% of croplands exhibit an annual warming effect, while 40% have a cooling effect compared to their surrounding natural ecosystems. Aerodynamic resistance is identified as the dominant biophysical factor impacting LST by adjusting latent heat flux. The magnitude of cropland-induced LST change is negatively correlated with the difference in leaf area index between croplands and their surrounding biome types. The strongest warming occurs in temperate dry regions where croplands are surrounded by savannas. However, a lower-than-expected LST disturbance is seen in hot and wet regions where croplands are surrounded by rainforests, attributed to lower cropland fraction and energy limitations. These findings highlight the complex interplay of land use, vegetation, and regional climate, providing valuable insights into sustainable agriculture and land-based climate change mitigation.