Spatiotemporal Variations of Land Surface Temperature and Vegetation Coverage in Free State Province, South Africa

Abstract

Vegetation plays an important role in reducing land surface temperatures. Vegetation indices such as enhanced vegetation index (EVI) are widely used to examine the relationship between vegetation cover and Land Surface Temperature (LST). In this study, the changes in EVI and LST were determined using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) datasets from 1999 to 2021. The relationship between EVI and LST was also examined to provide a basis for environmental management. The results showed a significant difference in LST and EVI with a negative correlation of −0.22 between them. The LST values increased over the years of study with a maximum of 46°C whilst vegetation cover decreased with a minimum EVI value of 0.20 in 2021. The findings of this study provide useful information to the government, municipalities and other stakeholders to undertake appropriate decisions that can help reduce LST and increase vegetation cover to promote sustainable development.