Linking satellite-based forest cover change with rainfall and land surface temperature in Kerala, India

Forest cover change is having an enduring link with climatic factors. This study was designed to study the impact of forest cover change in the Western Ghats on meteorological parameters like rainfall and land surface temperature (LST) between 2000 and 2019 using Landsat images. Land use land cover (LULC) data were extracted from Landsat images, and rainfall data of 53 stations were obtained from tropical rainfall measuring mission (TRMM) data. Mann-Kendall trend test, a nonparametric test, was adopted to evaluate the long-run trends in rainfall for North East (NE) and South West (SW) monsoon during the selected time period. The test results indicate that 19 stations in the North of Kerala show a positive trend in SW monsoon and 3 stations show a negative trend in NE monsoon. The breakpoint analysis of the rainfall dataset with time and with the elevation from mean sea level (MSL) is performed and the results show a breakpoint in the rainfall for the year 2008 and at 47 m elevation (MSL) from the coast of the Arabian Sea. Forest cover data show that there is a loss of 12.65% in the region for two decades span and also a significant increase in minimum LST from 8.308 to 9.208 degrees C and increase in maximum LST from 41.51 to 46.29 degrees C during the selected time period. Forest cover loss could be an important factor responsible for the increase in LST. The research outcomes would help the policymakers in improvising the measures for land management policies including plantation and urbanization.