Effects of Land Use and Vegetation Cover on Soil Temperature in an Urban Ecosystem (original) (raw)

2010, Soil Science Society of America Journal

U rban development has signifi cantly altered land surfaces during the last several decades . Converting forested and agricultural landscapes into urban land uses greatly alters energy fl uxes and the water, C, and nutrient cycles of these ecosystems , and changes the albedo and heat capacity. Th is results in higher temperatures in urban areas than rural areas, particularly at night under clear skies and low wind speed . Oft en referred to as the urban heat island, this warming is aff ected at fi ner spatial scales by the geometry of buildings, traffi c patterns, intermixed trees, and building ventilation . Th us, the urbanization eff ect occurs at a large range of scales depending on the development pattern of the city, the amount and distribution of tree canopy cover, the time of year, and the urban thermal properties associated with building geometry and the properties of the building materials and surfaces.