Local land surface temperature change induced by afforestation based on satellite observations in Guangdong plantation forests in China

•Change of afforested area led to a cooling effect, especially from croplands.•Afforestation in northern Guangdong has a warming effect, especially from natural forests.•An increase in cooling for the tropical forest zone across latitudes was observed.•ET dominated the cooling during the wet and warm season.•Enhanced precipitation influenced the ET-induced cooling.