Numerical Simulation of the Impact of Land Use/Land Cover Change over China on Regional Climates during the Last 20 Years

The climate effects of regional-scale land use/land cover change (LUCC), along with land cover data uncertainties, have typically been the focus of LUCC studies.Based on remotely sensed LUCC data, the Regional Climate Model (RegCM4.0) was used to investigate the climate effects of LUCC over China during the last 20 years.Results show that LUCC in China during the past 20 years has changed the regional temperature and diurnal temperature range significantly, but there has been no noticeable precipitation response or low-level atmospheric general circulation changes.The variation of these climate factors due to LUCC differ among the seasons, with greater responses in summer and autumn, and are mainly reflected in the boundary layer.The mechanisms involved vary significantly between regions.LUCC has exerted stronger evapotranspiration than albedo effects in the modulating North China climate, while the effects from these two factors are of equal importance in the Yangtze River Basin.These results indicate that the impact of shorter time scale LUCC is local and limited.