Effects of Cropland Expansion on the Regional Land Surface Radiative Energy Balance and Heat Fluxes in Northern China

Land use change can impact the land surface radiation budget and energy balance by changing surface biophysical processes. Based on satellite remote sensing data and land use data from 2000 to 2015, we quantitatively estimated radiative forcing induced by cropland expansion during the early 21st century in northern China. The results showed that heat flux from the land surface to the atmosphere due to cropland expansion was quite variable in different climate zones. The heat flux increased in humid North China, whereas it decreased in arid Northwest China, semiarid Inner Mongolia, and humid Northeast China. Cropland expansion from woodland areas led to a general decline in the land surface heat flux to the atmosphere, which led to a cooling effect on the climate. The surface heat flux to the atmosphere due to cropland expansion in grassland areas displayed significant variations in different climate zones. The surface heat flux decreased only in humid Northeast China and arid Northwest China. The net surface radiation and latent heat flux both increased when grasslands were changed into cropland, but to different extents, which produced the differences in the surface heat flux to the atmosphere between different zones.

Automated summary

The research found that the impact of cropland expansion on land surface heat flux varies in different climate zones, with an increase in heat flux in humid areas and a decrease in dry areas. Additionally, the conversion of grasslands to croplands resulted in increased net surface radiation and latent heat flux, but to varying degrees, leading to differences in heat flux to the atmosphere in different regions.