Land Use Changes
When humans transform land from forests to seasonal crops or from natural to urban environments, the regional climate system is altered. For example, clear-cut hillsides are significantly warmer than forests. Urban environments are also islands of heat produced by industry, homes, automobiles, and by asphalt’s absorption of solar energy. Land use changes are not likely to have a large, direct effect on global average temperature.
Changing uses of the land are also associated with changes in the usage and availability of water, as well as the production of greenhouse gases. Deforestation can significantly increase the amount of atmospheric CO2, which warms the planet.
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Land Use Changes
Urban enviroments create islands of heat from industry, buildings, automobiles, and the absorption of solar energy by dark-colored surfaces. |
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