Relating Urban Land Surface Temperature to Vegetation Leafing using Thermal Imagery and Vegetation Indices

Detecting the influence of temperature on urban vegetation is useful for planning urban biodiversity conservation efforts, since temperature affects several ecosystem processes. In this study, the relationships between land surface temperature (LST) and vegetation phenology events (start of growing season, SOS; end of growing season, EOS; peak phenology) was examined in native savannah woodland and grass parcels of a hot climate town. For comparison, similar woodland and grass parcels on the town’s periphery, and a wetland, were used. The vegetation parcel LST values (°C) in one calendar year (2023) were obtained from Landsat-8 (L8) and Landsat-9 (L9) thermal imagery, whose combination yielded an 8-day image frequency. Phenology changes relative to seasonal air temperature and LST were determined using vegetation index (VI) values computed from accompanying 30 m resolution L8-L9 non-thermal bands: the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and one improved VI, the Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI). Higher imaging frequency, 250 m resolution NDVI and Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) MOD13Q1 layers supplemented the L8-L9 VIs. LST correlated highly with air temperature (p < 0.001). On nearly all L8-L9 image dates, the urban vegetation parcel’s mean LST was higher (p < 0.001) than that at its peri-urban equivalent. Improved VIs (SAVI, EVI) detected some phenology events to have occurred slightly earlier than detected by the NDVI. Associated with the higher LST, the SOS was earlier in the urban than in the peri-urban woodland. This association has scarcely been demonstrated in savannah vegetation, necessitating proactive efforts to reduce potential biodiversity effects.