by A Tayyebi, GD Jenerette

Science of the Total Environment 548-549:60-71

2016

Increasing temperatures in urban environments has motivated many metropolitan cities to manage climate change by addressing heat related issues through vegetation. A study was conducted to better understand how variation in vegetation across a coastal to desert climate in Los Angeles can function as a climate change adaption tool. The investigation found a link between persistent cooling and the availability of urban vegetation. Results also indicated a positive relationship between income and vegetation distribution; areas with higher incomes had higher levels of vegetation. This relationship was found to further correspond to urban land surface temperature variation. The significance of the effects on surface temperature were found to vary considerably throughout the geographic region under study. Vegetation cooling capacity increased across the coastal to urban climate gradient. The sources and outcomes of the variation were then quantified through structural equation modeling. Study results demonstrate the effectiveness of using vegetation as a heat risk reducing intervention across large geographic regions. The increased effectiveness of vegetation in inland areas provides useful information for urban planners looking to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Region: Los Angeles, California
Publication Type: Journal article
Keywords: climate change, remote sensing, urban greening, urban planning, urbanization, and vegetative barrier