Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Response of Land Surface Temperature and Kernel Normalized Difference Vegetation Index in Yangtze River Economic Belt, China: Multi-Method Analysis

As global climate change intensifies, its impact on the ecological environment is becoming increasingly pronounced. Among these, land surface temperature (LST) and vegetation cover status, as key ecological indicators, have garnered widespread attention. This study analyzes the spatiotemporal dynami...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Hongjia Zhu, Ao Wang, Pengtao Wang, Chunguang Hu, Maomao Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Land
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/598
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850280538746650624
author Hongjia Zhu
Ao Wang
Pengtao Wang
Chunguang Hu
Maomao Zhang
author_facet Hongjia Zhu
Ao Wang
Pengtao Wang
Chunguang Hu
Maomao Zhang
author_sort Hongjia Zhu
collection DOAJ
description As global climate change intensifies, its impact on the ecological environment is becoming increasingly pronounced. Among these, land surface temperature (LST) and vegetation cover status, as key ecological indicators, have garnered widespread attention. This study analyzes the spatiotemporal dynamics of LST and the Kernel Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (KNDVI) in 11 provinces along the Yangtze River and their response to climate change based on MODIS Terra satellite data from 2000 to 2020. The linear regression showed a significant KNDVI increase of 0.003/year (<i>p</i> < 0.05) and a LST rise of 0.065 °C/year (<i>p</i> < 0.01). The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) explained 74.5% of the variance, highlighting the dominant influence of vegetation cover and urbanization. The K-means clustering identified three regional patterns, with Shanghai forming a distinct group due to low KNDVI variability. The Generalized Additive Model (GAM) analysis revealed a nonlinear LST–KNDVI relationship, most evident in Hunan, where cooling effects weakened beyond a KNDVI threshold of 0.25. Despite a 0.07 KNDVI increase, high-temperature areas in Chongqing and Jiangsu expanded by over 2500 km<sup>2</sup>, indicating limited LST mitigation. This study reveals the complex interaction between LST and the KNDVI, which may provide scientific basis for the development of regional ecological management and climate adaptation strategies.
format Article
id doaj-art-4773a412bf8c4d4b85d989a09f463f78
institution OA Journals
issn 2073-445X
language English
publishDate 2025-03-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Land
spelling doaj-art-4773a412bf8c4d4b85d989a09f463f782025-08-20T01:48:41ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2025-03-0114359810.3390/land14030598Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Response of Land Surface Temperature and Kernel Normalized Difference Vegetation Index in Yangtze River Economic Belt, China: Multi-Method AnalysisHongjia Zhu0Ao Wang1Pengtao Wang2Chunguang Hu3Maomao Zhang4School of Urban Construction, Chengdu Polytechnic, Chengdu 611433, ChinaSchool of Architecture and Urban Planning, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, ChinaSchool of Tourism, Xi’an International Studies University, Xi’an 710128, ChinaSchool of Urban Planning and Design, Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, ChinaCollege of Public Administration, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430079, ChinaAs global climate change intensifies, its impact on the ecological environment is becoming increasingly pronounced. Among these, land surface temperature (LST) and vegetation cover status, as key ecological indicators, have garnered widespread attention. This study analyzes the spatiotemporal dynamics of LST and the Kernel Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (KNDVI) in 11 provinces along the Yangtze River and their response to climate change based on MODIS Terra satellite data from 2000 to 2020. The linear regression showed a significant KNDVI increase of 0.003/year (<i>p</i> < 0.05) and a LST rise of 0.065 °C/year (<i>p</i> < 0.01). The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) explained 74.5% of the variance, highlighting the dominant influence of vegetation cover and urbanization. The K-means clustering identified three regional patterns, with Shanghai forming a distinct group due to low KNDVI variability. The Generalized Additive Model (GAM) analysis revealed a nonlinear LST–KNDVI relationship, most evident in Hunan, where cooling effects weakened beyond a KNDVI threshold of 0.25. Despite a 0.07 KNDVI increase, high-temperature areas in Chongqing and Jiangsu expanded by over 2500 km<sup>2</sup>, indicating limited LST mitigation. This study reveals the complex interaction between LST and the KNDVI, which may provide scientific basis for the development of regional ecological management and climate adaptation strategies.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/598dynamicsKNDVILSTclimate changeYangtze River Economic Belt
spellingShingle Hongjia Zhu
Ao Wang
Pengtao Wang
Chunguang Hu
Maomao Zhang
Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Response of Land Surface Temperature and Kernel Normalized Difference Vegetation Index in Yangtze River Economic Belt, China: Multi-Method Analysis
Land
dynamics
KNDVI
LST
climate change
Yangtze River Economic Belt
title Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Response of Land Surface Temperature and Kernel Normalized Difference Vegetation Index in Yangtze River Economic Belt, China: Multi-Method Analysis
title_full Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Response of Land Surface Temperature and Kernel Normalized Difference Vegetation Index in Yangtze River Economic Belt, China: Multi-Method Analysis
title_fullStr Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Response of Land Surface Temperature and Kernel Normalized Difference Vegetation Index in Yangtze River Economic Belt, China: Multi-Method Analysis
title_full_unstemmed Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Response of Land Surface Temperature and Kernel Normalized Difference Vegetation Index in Yangtze River Economic Belt, China: Multi-Method Analysis
title_short Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Response of Land Surface Temperature and Kernel Normalized Difference Vegetation Index in Yangtze River Economic Belt, China: Multi-Method Analysis
title_sort spatiotemporal dynamics and response of land surface temperature and kernel normalized difference vegetation index in yangtze river economic belt china multi method analysis
topic dynamics
KNDVI
LST
climate change
Yangtze River Economic Belt
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/598
work_keys_str_mv AT hongjiazhu spatiotemporaldynamicsandresponseoflandsurfacetemperatureandkernelnormalizeddifferencevegetationindexinyangtzerivereconomicbeltchinamultimethodanalysis
AT aowang spatiotemporaldynamicsandresponseoflandsurfacetemperatureandkernelnormalizeddifferencevegetationindexinyangtzerivereconomicbeltchinamultimethodanalysis
AT pengtaowang spatiotemporaldynamicsandresponseoflandsurfacetemperatureandkernelnormalizeddifferencevegetationindexinyangtzerivereconomicbeltchinamultimethodanalysis
AT chunguanghu spatiotemporaldynamicsandresponseoflandsurfacetemperatureandkernelnormalizeddifferencevegetationindexinyangtzerivereconomicbeltchinamultimethodanalysis
AT maomaozhang spatiotemporaldynamicsandresponseoflandsurfacetemperatureandkernelnormalizeddifferencevegetationindexinyangtzerivereconomicbeltchinamultimethodanalysis