In order to analyze the impact of land use and land cover change on land surface temperature (LST), remote sensing is the most appropriate tool. Land use/cover change has been confirmed to have a significant impact on climate through various aspects that modulate LST and precipitation. However, there are no studies which illustrate this link in the Fez-Meknes region using satellite observations. Thus, the aim of this study was to monitor LST as a function of the land use change in the Saïss plain. In the study, 12 Landsat images of the year 2019 (one image per month) were used to represent the variation of LST during the year, and 2 images per year in 1988, 1999 and 2009 to study the interannual variation in LST. The mapping results showed that the land use/cover in the region has undergone a significant evolution; an increase in the arboriculture and urbanized areas to detriment of arable lands and rangelands. On the basis of statistical analyses, LST varies during the phases of plant growth in all seasons and that it is diversified due to the positional influence of land use type. The relationship between LST and NDVI shows a negative correlation (LST decreases when NDVI increases). This explains the increase in LST in rangelands and arable land, while it decreases in irrigated crops and arboriculture.
The lakes represent important surface water resources and form an integral part of wetlands. The most concerning aspect of the degradation of these areas is the complete drying up of the lakes. In the Mediterranean basin, successive changes in land use practices in the context of climate change have strongly influenced wetland areas. In this study, we opted to use Landsat satellite images to monitor the extent of the water surface in two representative lakes (Aoua and Ifrah) of the tabular Middle Atlas (TMA). The results obtained from the processing of satellite images show a significant regression in the surface area of the lakes, with periods of complete drying for Aoua lake, endangering their fragile ecosystems and biodiversity. This very critical situation of the two lakes is linked to the conjunction of natural and anthropogenic factors. The analysis of climatic data shows a significant climate change from the 1980s, with long periods of drought. In parallel, the study area has undergone remarkable modifications in land use, mainly characterized by a significant extension of irrigated agricultural areas to the detriment of grazing and rainfed crop lands. In three decades, the area of irrigated crops has increased from approximately 1300 hectares in 1985 to 7070 hectares in 2022, representing an increase of 542%. The findings presented in this study reveal the extent of lake degradation in the TMA and reflect the alarming decline in groundwater levels. This indicates that the development of a strategy for the protection of water resources should be considered as a matter of urgency.
Land use/land cover (LULC) change has been confirmed that have a significant impact on climate through various pathways that modulate land surface temperature (LST) and precipitation. However, there are no studies illustrated this link in the Saïss plain using remote sensing data. Thus, the aim of this study is to monitor the LST relationship between LULC and vegetation index change in the Saïss plain using GIS and Remote Sensing Data. We used 18 Landsat images to study the annual and interannual variation of LST with LULC (1988, 1999, 2009 and 2019). To highlight the effect of biomass on LST distribution, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was calculated, which is a very good indicator of biomass. The mapping results showed an increase in the arboriculture and urbanized areas to detriment of arable lands and rangelands. Based on statistical analyzes, the LST varies during the phases of plant growth in all seasons and that it is diversified due to the positional influence of LULC type. The variation of land surface temperature with NDVI shows a negative correlation. This explains the increase in the surface temperature in rangelands and arable land while it decreases in irrigated crops and arboriculture.
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