The effect of vegetation cover on microclimate variability using geospatial technology in Universiti Putra Malaysia campus

Hasbulah, Muhammad Faris Iman (2024) The effect of vegetation cover on microclimate variability using geospatial technology in Universiti Putra Malaysia campus. [Project Paper] (Submitted)

Text FPAS 2024 17.pdf Download (4MB)

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of vegetation cover on microclimate variability within the campus of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). The primary objective is to examine microclimatic conditions based on different types of vegetation cover and determine the correlation between vegetation cover and Land Surface Temperature (LST). Four distinct microclimate variables; air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and solar radiation were analyzed under four different types of vegetation cover: no vegetation, grass & shrub, low dense, and high dense vegetation. These investigations were conducted during both dry and wet seasons. A SPOT 7 satellite image was utilized to identify the vegetation cover, and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) map was generated. The research employed two approaches: ground data collection for microclimate parameters and a comparison of air temperature across the four types of vegetation covers with thermal infrared data derived from Landsat 8 satellites. Based on independent t-test analysis, variations in temperature and solar radiation between the seasons are statistically insignificant, while relative humidity and wind speed show significant differences (p < 0.05). The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) between microclimatic variables and the vegetation cover classes showed that all microclimate variables significantly differed between vegetation cover groups, with no vegetation cover being the most significant compared to low dense or high dense vegetation cover. Grass and shrub cover, for the most part, showed a moderate impact on microclimate variables. The relationship between Land Surface Temperature (LST) from satellite data and air temperature appears to be insignificant and not correlated. Only two of the eight studied data results showed a strong correlation specifically, during the dry season with low dense vegetation (0.654) and the wet season with high dense vegetation (0.533). Moreover, only the correlation between the air temperature of low dense vegetation cover and the LST of the dry season showed a statistically significant correlation (p < 0.05). This research is expected to enhance the knowledge of microclimate variations on a university campus, providing insights into the potential impact of climate change on staff and students in line with SDGs 3, 4, 13, and 15. It informs adaptive strategies, campus planning, sustainability, university community well-being, and the urban ecology of building arrangements with associated green spaces that university’s management can use for further landscape planning in UPM campus.

Item Type:	Project Paper
Faculty:	Fakulti Perhutanan dan Alam Sekitar
Depositing User:	Ms. ROHANA ALIAS
Date Deposited:	14 May 2024 02:01
Last Modified:	01 Aug 2024 08:43
URI:	http://psaspb.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/1767

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