Observed different impacts of potential tree restoration on local surface and air temperature

Yitao Li, Zhao-Liang Li (), Hua Wu, Xiangyang Liu, Xu Lian, Menglin Si, Jing Li, Chenghu Zhou, Ronglin Tang, Sibo Duan, Wei Zhao, Pei Leng, Xiaoning Song, Qian Shi, Enyu Zhao and Caixia Gao
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Yitao Li: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zhao-Liang Li: Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Hua Wu: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Xiangyang Liu: Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Xu Lian: Columbia University
Menglin Si: Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Jing Li: Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Chenghu Zhou: Guangdong Academy of Sciences
Ronglin Tang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Sibo Duan: Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Wei Zhao: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Pei Leng: Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Xiaoning Song: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Qian Shi: Sun Yat-sen University
Enyu Zhao: Dalian Maritime University
Caixia Gao: Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Tree restoration can cool or warm the local climate through biophysical processes. However, the magnitude of these effects remains unconstrained at large scales, as most previous observational studies rely on land surface temperature (Ts) rather than the more policy-relevant air temperature (Ta). Using satellite observations, we show that Ta responds to tree cover change at only 15–30% of the magnitude observed in Ts. This difference is supported by independent evidence from site observations, and can be attributed to the reduced aerodynamic resistance and the resultant flatter near-surface temperature profiles in forests compared to non-forests. At mid- or high-latitudes, the maximum seasonal biophysical Ta warming or cooling only accounts for approximately 10% of the equivalent climate effect of carbon sequestration in terms of magnitude, whereas the biophysical Ts effect can reach 40%. These findings highlight the importance of selecting the appropriate temperature metric in different applications to avoid exaggerating or underestimating the biophysical impacts of forestation.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-57606-y

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