Publication Frequency Adjustment
2025-07-08
The Effects of Vegetation & Bare Land on Thermal Characteristics: A Case Study of Three Indian Metropolitan Areas
Authors
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Arpit Gupta
Department of Continuing Education and Extension, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007, India
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Rupesh Kumar Gupta
Department of Continuing Education and Extension, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007, India
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Grinedge Yadav
Department of Continuing Education and Extension, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007, India
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Nani Gopal Mandal
Department of Sustainability Management, Terna Global Business School, Navi Mumbai-400706, India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v7i4.9639Abstract
Urban expansion in India’s metropolitan regions has led to significant alterations in land surface composition, which directly affect local thermal environments. Vegetation loss and the emergence of bare land surfaces are increasingly recognized as key contributors to urban heat, yet comparative, multi-city studies addressing their combined effects remain scarce. This study analyzes the influence of vegetation and bare land on land surface temperature (LST) across three major Indian cities—Delhi, Lucknow, and Ahmedabad in 2023. Satellite imagery was used to extract Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Bareness Index (NDBaI), and LST values. Statistical correlation and spatial analysis techniques were applied to evaluate thermal variations across land cover types. NDVI was negatively correlated with LST (r = −0.68 to −0.81), indicating the cooling role of vegetation, whereas NDBaI showed a positive correlation with LST (r = 0.59 to 0.74), highlighting the warming effect of bare surfaces. Delhi exhibited the highest maximum LST (47.45 °C), while Lucknow recorded the highest minimum (38.63 °C). Across all cities and timeframes, vegetated areas consistently showed lower surface temperatures compared to bare or built-up regions. The findings emphasize the importance of vegetation in reducing urban heat and the thermal risk posed by increasing bare land. Strengthening green infrastructure and minimizing exposed soil in urban areas can serve as effective strategies for enhancing thermal comfort and climate resilience in Indian cities.
Keywords:
Vegetation; Urban Heat; Indices; Microclimate; Bare LandReferences
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Gupta, A., Gupta, R. K., Yadav, G., & Mandal, N. G. (2025). The Effects of Vegetation & Bare Land on Thermal Characteristics: A Case Study of Three Indian Metropolitan Areas. Research in Ecology, 7(4), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v7i4.9639
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Copyright © 2025 Arpit Gupta, Rupesh Kumar Gupta, Grinedge Yadav, Nani Gopal Mandal
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