Impacts of Land Use Change on the Regional Climate: A Structural Equation Modeling Study in Southern China

With the frequent human activities operating on the earth, the impacts of land use change on the regional climate are increasingly perceptible. Under the background of the rapid urbanization, understanding the impacts of land use change on the regional climate change is vital and significant. In thi...

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Main Authors: Zhanqi Wang, Bingqing Li, Jun Yang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2015-01-01
Series:Advances in Meteorology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/563673
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author Zhanqi Wang
Bingqing Li
Jun Yang
author_facet Zhanqi Wang
Bingqing Li
Jun Yang
author_sort Zhanqi Wang
collection DOAJ
description With the frequent human activities operating on the earth, the impacts of land use change on the regional climate are increasingly perceptible. Under the background of the rapid urbanization, understanding the impacts of land use change on the regional climate change is vital and significant. In this study, we investigated the relationships between land use change and regional climate change through a structural equation model. Southern China was selected as the study area for its rapid urbanization and different structure of land use among its counties. The results indicate that the path coefficients of “vegetation,” “Urban and surrounding area,” and “other” to “climate” are −0.42, 0.20, and 0.46, respectively. Adding vegetation area is the main method to mitigate regional climate change. Urban and surrounding area and other areas influence regional climate by increasing temperature and precipitation to a certain extent. Adding grassland and forestry, restraining sprawl of built-up area, and making the most use of unused land are efficient ways to mitigate the regional climate change in Southern China. The results can provide feasible recommendations to land use policy maker.
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issn 1687-9309
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series Advances in Meteorology
spelling doaj-art-69fe8032d5ee4edf8011c73d81c695012025-02-03T01:10:30ZengWileyAdvances in Meteorology1687-93091687-93172015-01-01201510.1155/2015/563673563673Impacts of Land Use Change on the Regional Climate: A Structural Equation Modeling Study in Southern ChinaZhanqi Wang0Bingqing Li1Jun Yang2School of Public Administration, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, ChinaSchool of Public Administration, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, ChinaSchool of Public Administration, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, ChinaWith the frequent human activities operating on the earth, the impacts of land use change on the regional climate are increasingly perceptible. Under the background of the rapid urbanization, understanding the impacts of land use change on the regional climate change is vital and significant. In this study, we investigated the relationships between land use change and regional climate change through a structural equation model. Southern China was selected as the study area for its rapid urbanization and different structure of land use among its counties. The results indicate that the path coefficients of “vegetation,” “Urban and surrounding area,” and “other” to “climate” are −0.42, 0.20, and 0.46, respectively. Adding vegetation area is the main method to mitigate regional climate change. Urban and surrounding area and other areas influence regional climate by increasing temperature and precipitation to a certain extent. Adding grassland and forestry, restraining sprawl of built-up area, and making the most use of unused land are efficient ways to mitigate the regional climate change in Southern China. The results can provide feasible recommendations to land use policy maker.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/563673
spellingShingle Zhanqi Wang
Bingqing Li
Jun Yang
Impacts of Land Use Change on the Regional Climate: A Structural Equation Modeling Study in Southern China
Advances in Meteorology
title Impacts of Land Use Change on the Regional Climate: A Structural Equation Modeling Study in Southern China
title_full Impacts of Land Use Change on the Regional Climate: A Structural Equation Modeling Study in Southern China
title_fullStr Impacts of Land Use Change on the Regional Climate: A Structural Equation Modeling Study in Southern China
title_full_unstemmed Impacts of Land Use Change on the Regional Climate: A Structural Equation Modeling Study in Southern China
title_short Impacts of Land Use Change on the Regional Climate: A Structural Equation Modeling Study in Southern China
title_sort impacts of land use change on the regional climate a structural equation modeling study in southern china
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/563673
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AT junyang impactsoflandusechangeontheregionalclimateastructuralequationmodelingstudyinsouthernchina