Researchers say regional surface temperatures can be affected by land use, suggesting that local and regional strategies, such as creating green spaces and buffer zones in and around urban areas, could be a tool in addressing climate change.

A study by researchers from Purdue University and the universities of Colorado and Maryland concluded that greener land cover contributes to cooler temperatures, and almost any other change leads to warmer temperatures. The study, published on line and set to appear in the Royal Meteorological Society’s International Journal of Climatology later this year, is further evidence that land use should be better incorporated into computer models projecting future climate conditions.

“What the study highlighted is that a significant trend, particularly the warming trend in terms of temperatures, can also be partially explained by land-use change. That land use helps drive climate change has been poorly understood compared to factors such as greenhouse gas emissions. But that is changing. People realize that land use cover also is an important force and not only at the local but also at the regional scale.

The researchers used higher resolution temperature data than previous studies, meaning the data was more detailed. They also employed dynamic data on land-use changes from 1992-2001, which was derived from satellite imagery.