Development of an Urban Turfgrass and Tree Carbon Calculator for Northern Temperate Climates

Abstract

The presence of urban plants in an ecosystem are vital for processes including carbon sequestration and the type of urban plants included in urban settings affect the amount of carbon sequestered. The objective of this study is to assess the ability of urban plants to sequester carbon under a number of available management practices through the development and refinement of an accessible carbon calculator. Available urban plant data were analyzed using the calculator developed using available literature regarding carbon sequestration to determine differences between different types of plants, when hidden carbon costs (HCC) were considered. Carbon sequestration including HCC for turfgrasses could be calculated but there was a lack of information regarding HCC of urban trees and shrubs. The calculator was shown to be an effective tool for homeowners to determine viable management practices to maintain or increase carbon sequestration.