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Asymmetric influence of forest cover gain and loss on land surface temperature

Author

Listed:
  • Yongxian Su

    (Guangdong Academy of Sciences
    Sun Yat-sen University)

  • Chaoqun Zhang

    (Guangdong Academy of Sciences
    Sun Yat-sen University)

  • Philippe Ciais

    (Université Paris-Saclay)

  • Zhenzhong Zeng

    (Southern University of Science and Technology)

  • Alessandro Cescatti

    (Joint Research Centre)

  • Jiali Shang

    (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

  • Jing Ming Chen

    (University of Toronto)

  • Jane Liu

    (University of Toronto)

  • Ying-Ping Wang

    (CSIRO Environment)

  • Wenping Yuan

    (Sun Yat-sen University)

  • Shushi Peng

    (Peking University)

  • Xuhui Lee

    (Yale University)

  • Zaichun Zhu

    (Peking University
    Peking University)

  • Lei Fan

    (Southwest University)

  • Xiaoping Liu

    (Sun Yat-sen University)

  • Liyang Liu

    (Guangdong Academy of Sciences
    Sun Yat-sen University
    Université Paris-Saclay)

  • Raffaele Lafortezza

    (University of Bari “Aldo Moro”
    Beijing Forestry University)

  • Yan Li

    (Beijing Normal University)

  • Jiashun Ren

    (Guangdong Academy of Sciences
    Sun Yat-sen University)

  • Xueqin Yang

    (Guangdong Academy of Sciences
    Sun Yat-sen University)

  • Xiuzhi Chen

    (Sun Yat-sen University)

Abstract

The direct biophysical effects of fine-scale tree cover changes on temperature are not well understood. Here, we show how land surface temperature responds to subgrid gross tree cover changes. We find that in many forests, the biophysical cooling induced by enhanced evapotranspiration due to tree cover gain is greater in magnitude than the warming from tree cover loss. Therefore, the goal of no biophysical warming effects from tree cover changes could be achieved by regaining a fraction of previously lost tree cover areas. This percentage differs between different forest biomes, ranging from 75% in tropical to 83% in temperate forests. Neglecting this asymmetric temperature effect of fine-scale tree cover change ignores the fact that biophysical feedbacks continue to cause surface temperature changes even under net-zero tree cover changes. Thus, it is necessary to account for gross, rather than net, tree cover changes when quantifying the biophysical effects of forests.

Suggested Citation

  • Yongxian Su & Chaoqun Zhang & Philippe Ciais & Zhenzhong Zeng & Alessandro Cescatti & Jiali Shang & Jing Ming Chen & Jane Liu & Ying-Ping Wang & Wenping Yuan & Shushi Peng & Xuhui Lee & Zaichun Zhu & , 2023. "Asymmetric influence of forest cover gain and loss on land surface temperature," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 13(8), pages 823-831, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcli:v:13:y:2023:i:8:d:10.1038_s41558-023-01757-7
    DOI: 10.1038/s41558-023-01757-7
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    Cited by:

    1. Zhan, Ning & Liu, Weihang & Ye, Tao & Liu, Yiqing & Li, Zitong & Ma, Heng, 2025. "Global warming creates the adaptation tipping points of livestock exposure to cold and heat stress on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 223(C).
    2. Wang, Xu & Yang, Jilin & Wang, Jie & Yang, Tong & Chang, Chuchen & Zhao, Yanbo & Wu, Xiaocui & Zhang, Geli & Xiao, Xiangming, 2025. "Physiological changes induced by green fodder expansion into grasslands and croplands enhance water-use efficiency in the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 307(C).
    3. 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 & Caixia Gao, 2025. "Observed different impacts of potential tree restoration on local surface and air temperature," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-12, December.
    4. Kevin Bradley Dsouza & Enoch Ofosu & Jack Salkeld & Richard Boudreault & Juan Moreno-Cruz & Yuri Leonenko, 2025. "Assessing the climate benefits of afforestation in the Canadian Northern Boreal and Southern Arctic," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-19, December.
    5. Yiannis Moustakis & Tobias Nützel & Hao-Wei Wey & Wenkai Bao & Julia Pongratz, 2024. "Temperature overshoot responses to ambitious forestation in an Earth System Model," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-18, December.

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