Exploring Land Use and Land Cover Changes in Apulia, Italy: Random Forest Approach Utilizing Remote Sensing Data

This study investigates the change of land use and land cover and their impacts on land surface temperature in the Apulia region (South of Italy). Uti- lizing remote sensing technologies and the Random Forest method, land use and land cover classification in 2013, 2017 and 2023 are analyzed, revealing a signif- icant increase in urbanization and a decline in vegetation cover. The analysis of land surface temperature data has indicated temperature escalations, particularly in urbanized areas, emphasizing the influence of land use and land cover changes on local climate dynamics. The findings underscore the importance of integrating spatial analysis with ecological assessments for informed decision-making in sus- tainable land management and urban planning. High accuracy in land use and land cover classification validates the reliability of the methodology employed. This study contributes valuable insights into understanding the relationship between human activities, land use and land cover changes, and their environmental conse- quences, providing a foundation for further research on biodiversity changes and effective mitigation strategies.