Ecosystem Services of Urban Forest

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Urban Forestry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 18 February 2025 | Viewed by 2792

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. Department of Ecology and Environmental Conservation, Faculty of Biology, Plovdiv University “Paisii Hilendarski”, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
2. Department of Microbiology and Ecological Biotechnologies, Faculty of Plant Protection and Agroecology, Agricultural University, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Interests: urban ecology; urban vegetation; biomonitoring; environmental pollution; oxidative stress; soil ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Department of Ecology and Environmental Conservation, Faculty of Biology, Plovdiv University “Paisii Hilendarski”, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Interests: environmental pollution; soils science; bioaccumulation and biomonitoring

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Urban forests and urban vegetation as a whole generally offer multiple resources and environmental benefits to society. Trees are regarded as the key elements of urban green infrastructure, as they have the largest effect on urban ecosystems. The functions and services they provide, such as air quality improvement, carbon sequestration, temperature reduction, etc., are directly influenced by the composition of species, the number and location of trees, their biological properties, their adaptive mechanisms, and so on. Therefore, the first step in improving the management of urban green spaces and to enhance their potential for ecosystem services is to evaluate the current structure and benefits of urban forests. This Special Issue plans to give an overview of the most recent advances in the field of ecosystem services assessment in urban areas, with a focus on urban trees and urban vegetation, as well as their valorization.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Air pollutants removal;
  • Carbon sequestration;
  • Microclimate regulation;
  • Temperature reduction;
  • Biodiversity support;
  • Pollinators support;
  • Disservices of urban trees (pollens, volatile compounds, etc.).

Dr. Slaveya Petrova
Dr. Bogdan Nikolov
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • urban resilience
  • air pollution mitigation
  • precipitation runoff limitation
  • urban heat island mitigation
  • carbon sequestration
  • ecosystem services

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 4442 KiB  
Article
Identifying the Response of Ecological Well–Being to Ecosystem Services of Urban Green Space Using the Coupling Coordination Degree Model: A Case Study of Beijing, China, 2015–2023
by Huimin Gan, Ji Feng, Zheng Zhao, Li Ma, Shuyi Di and Yali Wen
Forests 2024, 15(9), 1494; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15091494 - 26 Aug 2024
Viewed by 756
Abstract
Understanding the response of the ecological well–being to ecosystem services of urban green space is imperative for urban ecosystem conservation and management. However, few studies have focused on the response process and spatial relationship of ecological well–being to ecosystem services of urban green [...] Read more.
Understanding the response of the ecological well–being to ecosystem services of urban green space is imperative for urban ecosystem conservation and management. However, few studies have focused on the response process and spatial relationship of ecological well–being to ecosystem services of urban green space in mega cities, while residents’ demand and evaluation of ecological well–being have not been fully considered. In this study, the ecological well–being evaluation index system was developed through integrating subjective and objective indicators. Using the main urban area of Beijing as an example, our results indicate that from 2015 to 2023, the ecological well–being has been continuously increasing. Moreover, this study indicated that the coupling and coordination degree between ecological well–being and ecosystem services of urban green space still need to be improved. In addition, three modes of spatial relationship were identified in this study: high coordination area, moderate coordination area, and low coordination area. The finding extracted from these spatial relationship models should provide references for urban green space planning to maintain sustainable urban ecosystem conservation and management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Services of Urban Forest)
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19 pages, 1587 KiB  
Article
Quantifying Regulating Ecosystem Services of Urban Trees: A Case Study of a Green Space at Chungnam National University Using i-Tree Eco
by Wencelito Palis Hintural, Hee Jeong Jeon, Seo Young Kim, San Go and Byung Bae Park
Forests 2024, 15(8), 1446; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15081446 - 16 Aug 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1760
Abstract
Urban green spaces (UGSs) provide numerous ecosystem services (ESs) that are essential to the well-being of the residents. However, these services are often neglected in regional urban development and spatial planning. This study quantified the ESs of a 10.25 ha UGS at Chungnam [...] Read more.
Urban green spaces (UGSs) provide numerous ecosystem services (ESs) that are essential to the well-being of the residents. However, these services are often neglected in regional urban development and spatial planning. This study quantified the ESs of a 10.25 ha UGS at Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea, comprising 27 species with 287 tree individuals, using i-Tree Eco. Key regulating ESs investigated included air pollution removal, carbon storage and sequestration, oxygen production, energy use reduction, avoidance of surface runoff, and replacement and functional values. Results revealed significant annual environmental benefits: 131 kg air pollutants removed (USD 3739.01 or ₩5.16 M), 1.76 Mg carbon sequestered, which is equivalent to 0.18 Mg CO2 ha−1 yr−1 (USD 289.85 or ₩0.40 M), 2.42 Mg oxygen produced, energy savings (including carbon offset) valued at USD 391.29 (₩0.54 M), and 203 m3 reduction in surface runoff (USD 413.09 or ₩0.57 M). The annual total benefits of these urban trees amounted to USD 4833.86 (₩6.67 M), USD 16.83/tree, or USD 0.089/capita. Additionally, these trees had replacement and functional values estimated at USD 311,115.17 (₩429.3 M). The study underscores that species selection and abundance of urban trees are fundamental for maximizing the ES delivery in urban areas, highlighting the role of UGSs in ecological and economical sustainability in cities. These insights are valuable for urban planners and policymakers to optimize benefits of UGSs in cities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Services of Urban Forest)
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