Ecosystem services from urban forests: The case of Oslomarka, Norway

Abstract

Urban and peri-urban forests provide multiple ecosystem services for city dwellers, including water, opportunities for recreation and tourism, climate regulation and habitat provision. Despite growing scholarly attention to urban forests, few studies to date have conducted comprehensive assessments of their ecosystem services. This study conducts an interdisciplinary and wide-ranging assessment of ecosystem services of Oslomarka, the emblematic forest surrounding Oslo, Norway’s capital city. First, we set the historical background and examine drivers of change shaping forest uses and ecosystem service composition at the study area. Second, we identify, characterize and measure ecosystem services delivered at the study area. Third, we assess trends in these ecosystem services over the past 50 years. Three main findings are highlighted. First, institutional, technological, and cultural factors are the main drivers of change shaping current ecosystem service composition. Second, ten ecosystem services and three sub-services were assessed and characterized, with water and opportunities for recreation and tourism found to be of particular prominence to locals. Third, our results show that provisioning and habitat services have declined over the past fifty years, while carbon sequestration and storage has increased. Cultural services increased overall, while also experiencing major changes in their nature and composition. Our research reveals the fundamental importance of Oslo’s urban forests and its ecosystem services for the well-being of local inhabitants.