Multi-Temporal Land Surface Temperature and Vegetation Greenness in Urban Green Spaces of Puebla, Mexico

Filoteo Gomez-Martinez, Kirsten M. de Beurs, Jennifer Koch and Jeffrey Widener
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Filoteo Gomez-Martinez: Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
Kirsten M. de Beurs: Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
Jennifer Koch: Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
Jeffrey Widener: Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA

Land, 2021, vol. 10, issue 2, 1-25

Abstract: The urban heat island (UHI) effect is a global problem that is likely to grow as a result of urban population expansion. Multiple studies conclude that green spaces and waterbodies can reduce urban heat islands. However, previous studies often treat urban green spaces (UGSs) as static or limit the number of green spaces investigated within a city. Cognizant of these shortcomings, Landsat derived vegetation and land surface temperature (LST) metrics for 80 urban green spaces in Puebla, Mexico, over a 34-year (1986–2019) and a 20-year (2000–2019) period were studied. To create a photo library, 73 of these green spaces were visited and the available land cover types were recorded. Green spaces with Indian laurel were found to be much greener and vegetation index values remained relatively stable compared to green spaces with mixed vegetation cover. Similarly, green spaces with large waterbodies were cooler than those without water. These results show that larger green spaces were significantly cooler ( p < 0.01) and that size can explain almost 30% of temperature variability. Furthermore, green spaces with higher vegetation index values were significantly cooler ( p < 0.01), and the relationship between greenness and temperature strengthened over time.

Keywords: NDVI; land surface temperature; urban heat islands; urban green spaces (UGSs); change analysis; urbanization; Puebla (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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