Urban thermal landscape and landscape of urban heat island: A comparative study of urban thermal patterns from the view of landscape ecology

Thermal landscape has been proved quite useful and valuable in assessing dynamics and driving forces of urban heat island (UHI). With its prevalence, several key problems have come forth as how to make out its extent when study cities. To investigate the differences between urban thermal landscape and landscape of UHI, a comparative study was carried out in Xiamen using a 20-year winter time-serial Landsat images. Two schemes of landscape extent settings were taken, for landscape metrics calculation and analysis. The results showed that, the landscape metrics dynamics of urban thermal landscape and UHI were quite consistent with each other at class level during the process of urbanization. While at landscape level, the choice between the two schemes would affect the evolvements of shape complexity, contagion, diversity and evenness obviously by shifting the position of turning points at most time. This must be paid attention when investigating the dynamics of thermal patterns in cities, in that it might lead to different conclusions and decisions.