Green Spaces In Terms Research Articles

Heritage and Environment: Greenery as a Climate Change Mitigation Factor in Selected UNESCO Sites in Krakow

The quantity and condition of urban greenery directly affect the quality of life of residents and space users. This quality is linked to measures that reduce the negative impact of climate change. It was assumed that urban greenery should not only be protected but also should have its stock increased, which is not easy in a historical, compact structure under statutory conservation. This paper discusses the issue of green areas in the strict city centre of Krakow, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1978. The study area includes two medieval towns that had their town charters issued in the 13th and 14th centuries, which together formed a central town and a satellite town. Kazimierz and Stradom were subjected to a detailed investigation. A review of the literature and other sources made it possible to identify changes in the structure of green spaces in terms of chronology and quantity. Changes in the area, accessibility and the legal provisions arising from the various forms of statutory conservation and their consequences were analysed. Multi-criteria analyses of the historical urban structure and the types, forms and potential for introducing greenery into the historical area were also performed. The intention was to strengthen green infrastructure, which is a key element in climate change mitigation.

Case Study-Based Integrated Assessment of Former Waste Disposal Sites Transformed to Green Space in Terms of Ecosystem Services and Land Assets Recovery

Growing global production leads to continuing generation of waste, part of which still ends its life cycle in landfills and dumps. Despite the efforts of waste reuse and recycling and waste self-degradation, existing and old landfills and dumps remain a huge challenge for the future. The majority of landfills can be identified as non-sanitary and can be designated as existing or former dumps, meaning hills or fields of abandoned garbage and degraded inert waste masses without any or with little aftercare maintenance. In contrast, the term ‘landfill’ refers to legally organized waste disposal sites created in a controlled manner, according to modern environmentally responsible standards. The paper gives a case study-based integrated assessment of closed and revitalized waste disposal sites that have undergone a functional change from ‘lost territories’ to primarily green space beneficial for society and the urban environment, in terms of ecosystem services estimation based on the criteria evaluation approach and monetary assessment of land assets value recovery potential. The chosen four case studies (in the United States, Australia, Poland and Estonia) serve as successful examples of a sustainable degraded site revitalization gateway indicating opportunities for accelerating land value through the prism of ecosystem services estimations and spatial planning criteria. Beneficial value of land assets after site revitalization is assessed in monetary terms.

An Analysis of Surface Temperature Changes for Urban Green Space using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Background and objective: The urban heat island (UHI) effect is recognized as a representative environmental problem that occurs in cities in summer. This study aimed to quantitatively determine the surface temperature (ST) of UGSs using high-resolution images taken by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and analyze time-series changes in ST according to spatial characteristics (conifers, deciduous trees, shrubs, grass, metal sculptures, pavements).Methods: In this study, ST data of UGSs were established and acquired through UAV flight and filming, and orthoimages of such data were produced using the Pix4D program. In addition, by comparing RGB orthoimages and green space status data (location of trees and facilities) obtained from field surveys, a green-space type map was prepared using ArcGIS (v10.3.1) software to classify land cover types in green spaces (GSs). ST distribution by GS type was analyzed and statistical significance was verified through one-way ANOVA.Results: As a result, the ST of conifers, deciduous trees, shrubs, and grass, which are vegetation, was found to be lower than that of paved roads: for conifers, 4.1-12.5℃ lower than paved roads; for deciduous trees, 3.0-10.8℃; for shrubs 3.4-11.2℃; and for grass 1.7-8.1℃. In addition, the variations in ST over time were greatest for metal sculptures (28.1℃), followed by pavement (20.4℃), grass (19.4℃), shrubs (14.0℃), conifers (13.3℃), and deciduous trees (13.0℃).Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, it is necessary to consider the components of GS for the efficient planning and management of UGS in terms of improving the urban thermal environment. Insufficient and unsystematic planning and management of UGSs may deteriorate the function of GSs. Therefore, it is necessary to determine and evaluate the ST characteristics of GSs in terms of improving the urban thermal environment.

The win-win interaction between integrated blue and green space on urban cooling

The contributions of urban blue and green spaces on urban cooling are widely acknowledged. However, the combined cooling effect of integrated blue and green space remains uncertain. In this study, a combination of modelling and observational analyses uncovered a win–win interaction between coexisting blue and green spaces in terms of urban cooling. That is, the integration of water bodies and green spaces can reinforce the mutual cooling potential and provide greater urban cooling than stand-alone water bodies and green spaces. The results indicated that the known influencing factors such as area, shape and planting structure had no impact on the cooling effect of riverside urban green spaces. Instead, the width of the adjacent river reach and the degree of contact with the reach were significantly positively related to the cooling effect of riverside green spaces. The surface/air temperature of a riverside green space can be 4.2 °C/3.7 °C lower in the daytime in summer, and 3.1 °C/2.7 °C lower in spring than a non-riverside green space of similar size. Urban green spaces with water bodies inside could cause about 0.99 °C and 1.45 °C more deduction of land surface temperature (LST) than simple green spaces of similar size in spring and summer, respectively. There were about 1 °C‑2.9 °C more deductions in the air temperature of a river reach when it is accompanied by green spaces. More specifically, complete coverage with vegetated areas within a 30 m buffer on both riverbanks can result in a 3.1 °C and 3.37 °C higher LST deduction compared to no vegetation coverage on the riverbank in the daytime in spring and summer, respectively. The results of this study extend the understanding of the cooling effect of urban blue-green spaces and provide implications for sustainable urban planning.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Green Space Investment in Residential Areas of Dar es Salaam City, Tanzania

Urban green spaces are increasingly recognized as alternative ameliorative methods to technical solutions abating cities' environmental problems like poor air quality, climate change impacts, and heat stress. However, the costs of development and maintenance of green spaces in terms of materials, labor, and time are not known. The main objective of the study was to assess the costs and benefits associated with green space investment in residential plots of Dar es Salaam City. The study employed in-depth interviews using structured questionnaires and document review. Results indicated that households incur an average cost of TZS 136,579 (USD 59) and a maximum of TZS 6,629,019 (USD 2,882) for establishing more than one home greenery type. The total net monetary benefit per household after all costs due to disservices have been accounted for was TZS 3,148,827 (USD 1,369) annually. Based on a cost-benefit analysis of home greenery, it was found that the benefit was 2.6 times as much as the investment cost thus suggesting that maintaining home greeneries is cost-effective and a worthwhile investment. The results may help in evaluating trades off between courses of action as well as a decision tool for the households when investing in green spaces. The study recommends that residents and City managers should invest in allotments, shade trees, and/or fruit trees, as they were found to have the highest benefits, monetary savings, and benefit-cost ratio. Moreover, to maximize monetary benefit from home greenery, residents should select the right type of green space followed by choosing the right plant species, identification of the right location within the residential plot for establishing green space, and adopting building designs that optimally support green space functioning.

Residents’ Spatial Image Perception of Urban Green Space through Cognitive Mapping: The Case of Beijing, China

The fundamental purpose of future urban development is to meet residents’ yearning for a better city life with the rapid development of urbanization. This study uses a multinomial logit model and cognitive map to evaluate residents’ spatial image perception of urban green space. A field study and data collection were conducted from July to August 2019, using the typical urban green space area in Beijing as the research object. Based on 375 valid questionnaires and 139 cognitive maps, the study analyzed and evaluated the image characteristics and differences of residents to the urban green space under different conditions. The results show the following. First, there is a close relationship between residents’ preference and the characteristics of urban green spaces, especially the working and living environment and characteristics will have a great influence on it. Second, the cognitive map drawn by Beijing residents can be divided into sequential and spatial cognitive maps, and the image perception shows diversified characteristics. However, the perception is relatively superficial overall, and most are simple line maps. Besides, according to the analysis of the elements of the cognitive map, the advantages and disadvantages of each type of urban green space are closely related to their geographical location and internal structure. This study has two key findings. First, the construction of urban green spaces in various cities should be carried out according to local conditions, considering the scientific basis and reasonableness of urban green space in terms of structural setting. Second, the multinomial logit model and cognitive map can effectively quantify the subjective evaluation of respondents’ spatial perceptions in a relatively simple manner, which can be further expanded in the application system design of the method.

Evaluation of urban green space in terms of thermal environmental benefits using geographical detector analysis

Urban green space (UGS) plays an indispensable role in urban spaces, providing important ecological services to compensate for natural environment functions damaged by rapid urbanization. Understanding the impact of the UGS landscape pattern on its environmental benefits in order to evaluate UGS quality is critical for increasing its use efficiency. Previous studies have frequently constructed evaluation indexes based on subjective assessment of UGS landscape patterns using principal component analysis, factor analysis, and other methods without combining the actual environmental benefits in a complex urban environment. We investigated the changes in land surface temperature (LST) under different UGS landscape patterns, which can help clarify the urban thermal environment effect of UGS, and constructed a comprehensive index, the Green Environmental Benefit Index (GEBI), for UGS evaluation. Our results show that: (1) spatial allocation and configuration of UGS impact LST at both landscape and class levels, and the impact varies significantly with different vegetation types and landscape patterns. (2) The influence of each pair of driving factors on UGS thermal environmental benefits is mutually enhanced, indicating that urban greening can be improved across multiple dimensions. (3) UGS evaluation based on GEBI is objective and compelling, where alleyways of the inner-city were identified as areas in need of greening optimization in the study area. Revealing more details of the UGS landscape pattern, this study can help to construct a scientific and objective evaluation model and provide a reference for urban greening optimization and planning.

Growth Rate Prediction of Ornamental Trees using Regression Functions in Urban Landscapes

Abstract The present study aimed to predict the growth rate of the common urban trees using mathematical equations for the right plantation location in the landscape. Ginkgo biloba, Liquidambar styraciflua L., Parrotia persica, Zelkova carpinifolia, Acer negundo, and Fraxinus rotundifolia Mill. were selected from city of Rasht, Guilan province, in the northern part of Iran. The study used age as the independent variables and height, trunk height, and crown diameter as the dependent variables. The correlation among the variables were analyzed by different regressions (linear, logarithmic, exponential, power, and polynomial). The results showed that polynomial regression functions provided the best determination coefficient to predict the growth parameters with respect to age in the urban green spaces for aesthetic purposes and also, to reduce costs, tackle interference with transit, urban equipment, and finally developing ecosystems sustainably. Polynomial regression functions can be used to predict tree growth in new urban green spaces in terms of environmental factors and age. Keywords: Ecosystems sustainably, Green space, Growth rate, Urban landscape, Ornamental trees

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the use of and attitudes towards urban forests and green spaces: Exploring the instigators of change in Belgium

The COVID-19 pandemic has strongly impacted our society, producing drastic changes in people’s routines and daily mobility, and putting public spaces under a new light. This paper starts with the premise that the use of urban forests and green spaces - where and for who they were available and accessible - increased, when social restrictions were most stringent. It takes an explorative approach to examine changes in attitude towards urban forests and urban green spaces in terms of attraction (i.e., as the actual use behaviour), intended use (i.e., intention of going to green spaces), and civic engagement in relation to green spaces. In particular, it analyses the responses to a survey of 1987 respondents in Belgium and statistically examines the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics, urbanisation characteristics, actual and intended green space use, and changes in attitudes towards green spaces and civic engagement. The findings show that highly educated citizens experienced an increase in actual and intended use of green spaces during the pandemic, but that this increase differs among sociodemographic profiles such as impact of age or access to private green, and depends on their local built environment characteristics. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has strongly impacted citizens’ attitudes, as well as (intended) behaviour and civil engagement with respect to the green spaces in their area.

Using GIS Analysis to Assess Urban Green Space in Terms of Real Estate Development

Urban green spaces (UGS) contribute to the development of the ecosystem, especially in crowded urban areas such as cooling effect, air and noise pollution mitigation, recreation, aesthetic pleasure, quality of life and public health, as well as economic benefits, such as raising the price of the real state in the vicinity of UGS. The aim of the paper is to realize a study on green spaces and an urban distribution of the size of a systematic planning of functional and aesthetic qualities. This study examines the distribution and amount of green space, as well as the size and rates per capita are assessed. Even the distribution of distance and the accessibility of green areas throughout the city are closely linked to ensuring recreational needs. Spatial statistics using GIS have made possible the development of correct, coherent explanatory UGS variables such as distance, size, density, connectivity, sight and accessibility. The parks and all green spaces composed of polygons were digitized from the ArcGIS Attribute Table for the evaluation of per capita rates and the execution of a plan to combat the deficit of green spaces. In order to make an assessment of the green spaces, a comparative study of the area of interest from 2010 and 2020 was considered. According to the spatial analyses from ArcGis, during the 10 years, an intense real estate market was developed, affecting the distribution of green spaces per capita.

Numerical modelling for analysis of the effect of different urban green spaces on urban heat load patterns in the present and in the future

This paper focuses on urban green spaces in terms of climate and human thermal comfort containing their effect on heat load mitigation. It incorporates a modelling study in which the role of green spaces was investigated in terms of heat stress modification by applying MUKLIMO_3 model. During the experiment, the thermal effects of dense trees, scattered trees, grasslands and mixed green infrastructure has been investigated in the case of Szeged (Hungary) and assessed using different climate indices. The investigations encompassed 3 climatological time periods (1981–2010, 2021–2050 and 2071–2100) and two emission scenarios for future climate (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). It was found that urban green spaces (e.g. parks) generally cool the environment, although, the cooling potential of the different green types differs. The highest reduction of heat load was found in the case of large urban parks comprising of dense trees near the downtown. The spatial extension of detected cooling was found small. However, it would increase during the future, especially in the case of grasslands. For urban planners, it is highly recommended to introduce new green sites within a city and to increase the spatial extension of the existing ones to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change in the urban environment.

Urban green infrastructure size, quality and proximity and health outcomes in older populations

Abstract Background A city's multi-functional network of green and blue spaces has an important role underpinning the health and wellbeing of its residents. Although evidence of positive links between nature and health is plentiful, little is known about which particular aspects of green and blue spaces are most influential, and how benefits might vary between social groups and age. Methods We used a green infrastructure (GI) approach combining a high-resolution spatial dataset of land-cover and function with area-level demographic and socio-economic data. A comprehensive characterisation of the Greater Manchester UK city region was generated. The GI attributes were used in step-wise multi-level regression analyses to test for associations between population chronic morbidity and the functional, physical and spatial components of GI across an urban socio-demographic gradient. Results Individual GI attributes were significantly associated with health in all socio-demographic contexts; even when associations between health and overall green cover were non-significant. For areas with having higher proportions of older people ('older neighbourhoods'), associations were found between health and land-cover diversity, informal greenery and patch size in high income areas. In lower income areas, health was predicted by proximity to public parks and recreation land. Conclusions A nuanced description of greenspace in terms of quality, cover type, diversity explains more variation in population health than a single metric such as percentage green cover. People in urban neighbourhoods that have older age populations and lower income are disproportionately healthy if their neighbourhoods contain accessible, good quality public greenspace. This has implications for strategies to decrease health inequalities and inform international initiatives, such as the World Health Organisation's Age-Friendly Cities programme. Key messages A nuanced description of green and blue space in terms of quality, cover type, diversity explains more variation in population health than a single metric such as percentage green cover. People in urban neighbourhoods that have older age populations and lower income are disproportionately healthy if their neighbourhoods contain accessible, good quality public greenspace.

Qualitative Exploration of Perception and Use of Cultural Ecosystem Services from Tree-Based Urban Green Space in the City of Zagreb (Croatia)

Background and Objectives: Cultural ecosystem services of urban green spaces are increasingly important and often recognized as such by people living in urban areas. Qualitative studies on perception of cultural ecosystem services from urban green spaces are still rare. Previous studies addressed only certain types of urban green space and often only some services. There is a lack of understanding how people perceive cultural ecosystem services from different types of tree-based urban green spaces. Hence, the purpose of the study was to explore whether and how people perceive and use cultural ecosystem services of different types of tree-based urban green spaces. Materials and Methods: Focus groups were conducted with citizens in each city district. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and transcripts analyzed in MAXQDA software. We used bottom up code-category-theme approach to analyze the data without predefined set of codes or categories. Results: Place attachment, aesthetic and recreational services were more recognized than educational and cultural identity services. For place attachment, most important single attributes were positive memories, and good maintenance, while most important categories were facilities, existence of emotional ties, possibility of experiences, recreational use and access. Presence of specific tree species and presence of trees in general were most important attributes for aesthetic services, while possibility of experiences and trees were the most important categories. Conclusions: People perceived various cultural ecosystem services from tree-based urban green space, even though some services more than others. Recreation may be the underlying goal of our participants when interacting with tree-based urban nature. Forests, parks were recognized as those providing multiple cultural ecosystem services. However, other types of green spaces were also recognized as bearers of these services, albeit with less services and attributes attached. It supports the importance of careful planning of urban green spaces in terms of providing a variety of green space types. The study provides basis for later quantification of cultural ecosystem services (CES) from tree-based urban green space.

������ ���� ����������� ������������� ������� ��������� ���������� ������������ �� ����������� �������� ������

The article shows the possibility of assessing the level of recreational transformation of public green spaces in terms of the soil penetration resistance and proved that the profile distribution of soil penetration resistance values is an information valuable indicator for establishing the level of recreational load. The measurement of soil penetration resistance within the park Novooleksandrivsky (Melitopol, Ukraine) was performed at 179 points on a quasi-regular grid with a distance between the points of accounting 30–40 m. The soil penetration resistance was revealed to be naturally increases with the growth of the depth of the soil layer from 2.42±0.023 MPa in the soil layer 0‒5 cm to 9.86±0.078 MPa in the soil layer 95‒100 cm. The process of increasing soil penetration resistance with depth is not monotonous, resulting in the presence of local penetration resistance at a depth of 50‒55 or 55‒60 cm. The variability of soil penetration resistance within one layer, which is described by the variation coefficient, is in the range of 6.98‒20.54%. This indicator naturally changes by profile. The high level of variation is peculiar to the top layer of soil 0‒5 cm, where the coefficient of variation of soil penetration resistance is 12.94 %. It is proved that under the influence of recreation there is a formation of functional layering of soil, expressed in the existence of structures in which layers of soil with greater soil penetration resistance are degraded by layers of less penetration resistance. The presence of such features can cause a complex of negative phenomena, which are associated with restriction of moisture penetration into the soil, reducing the migration capacity of air in the soil, limiting the growth of root systems of plants and the movement of animals. Functional layering can form local waterproof horizons that will limit the soil’s ability to absorb moisture. Correlational analysis of the connection of soil penetration resistance and the indicator of recreational load allowed to establish that with the increase of recreational pressure soil penetration resistance increases. The established correlational dependence of soil penetration resistance indicators and the assessment of the level of recreational load allows us to consider the possibility on the basis of penetration resistance data to quantify the level of recreational load. We completed this task with the help of multiple linear regression with the procedure of step-by-step inclusion of predictors in the model. The regression model is statistically significant and has made it easy to explain 46% of the varying indicators of recreational load. The step-by-step inclusion procedure provided an opportunity to choose the 10 most informative predictors for use in the model. The following levels of recreational load were established: low level, below moderate, moderate level, above moderate to high levels, as well as the procedure for indication of these levels based on soil penetration resistance data at different depths. The levels of recreational load were indicated on the basis of the procedure of classification trees on the soil penetration resistance data

A GIS-based assessment of green space accessibility: case study of Dundee

Recently, it has been proven that access to green spaces provide people with better health conditions and help in enhancing general public health and well-being for urban residents. Therefore, there is a need to assess the quality of green spaces to ensure that they are in good quality in terms of accessibility for example. This paper aims to assess the quality of green spaces in terms of accessibility in the city of Dundee, Scotland, based on employing GIS network analysis. The results showed that nearly two thirds of Dundonians have access to 2–20 ha green spaces within 300 m distance while nearly half of them have access to 20–100 ha and 100–500 ha green spaces within 2000 m and 5000 m distance, respectively. The findings of this research provide valuable evidence for public policy makers and urban planners in addition to the general public for framing future urban plans in a manner that enhance accessibility to green spaces. The employed methodology in this research can be used in other urban areas within and even beyond Scotland, if the required datasets are available and accessible.

Accessibility and Street Network Characteristics of Urban Public Facility Spaces: Equity Research on Parks in Fuzhou City Based on GIS and Space Syntax Model

Urban green spaces are conducive to people’s physical, mental, and social health; however, in many cases, these benefits are unevenly distributed in cities. This study explored the equity of urban green spaces in terms of accessibility and spatial morphology, specifically, (1) applied the geographic information system (GIS) accessibility index to the equity of parks in Fuzhou City; (2) discussed the accessibility of parks and the spatial morphological characteristics of streets from a space syntax analysis; (3) examined the correlation between the accessibility of parks in Fuzhou City and the spatial morphology of streets. The results provide a valuable reference for sustainable urban design and planning.

Tree cooling effects and human thermal comfort under contrasting species and sites

The potential of urban greenspaces in regulating temperature is widely known; however, in the heterogeneous urban landscape the process and the magnitude of human thermal comfort as well as the cumulative effects of natural and built surfaces are not yet well understood. We selected two ecologically contrasting species Tilia cordata Mill. and Robinia pseudoacacia L. planted in eight plots across five different sites in Würzburg, one of the major cities in Northern Bavaria, Germany. We monitored meteorological and edaphic variables and tree sap-flow along with the air temperature, relative humidity, within tree canopy and outside, between January 1 and December 31, 2018. Additionally, we measured surface temperature, meteorological variables below the tree canopies and outside, during the hottest summer days of 2018 (July 23 to 31). With 35% higher leaf area index, T. cordata tree canopies prevented higher incoming radiation compared to R. pseudoacacia trees. Moreover, with diffuse porous wood anatomy, T. cordata trees provided four times more transpiration compared to R. pseudoacacia, therefore, up to 2.8 °C air temperature reduction (ΔAT) within the tree canopy, and increase in absolute humidity (ΔAH) up to 2.6 g m − 3 compared to the 1.9 °C of ΔAT and 1.9 g m − 3 of ΔAH for R. pseudoacacia respectively. Thus, physiological equivalent temperature reduction was up to 4 °C under the shade of a R. pseudoacacia tree compared to 11 °C under a T. cordata tree. Finally, the research showed the importance of urban topography, such as street orientation, surrounding environment such as geometry, urban design to reduce the hindrance of wind flow and proportion of greenspaces in terms of outdoor human thermal comfort.

PROVISION OF GREEN SPACES IN MALAYSIAN PRIMARY SCHOOLS: ISSUES, GUIDELINES AND RECOMMENDATION

The provision of conducive learning environments in schools is important in determining the effectiveness of the curriculum and co-curriculum implementation, as well as enriching children’s outdoor play and environmental learning. However, the development of green spaces within school compound is not a priority in Malaysian schools. This paper aims to explore the issues related to the provision of green spaces in Malaysian national primary schools. There are various green spaces that can be provided in school setting such as field, pocket spaces, soft and hard play areas, and animal life, which serves different purposes for children’s activities. Though, the limited budget and the lack of knowledge and design guidelines are among the obstacles encountered by Malaysian schools in developing functional green spaces that provide learning opportunities for children. A greater effort is needed in helping the schools developing their green spaces in terms of funding, expert knowledge and community support.

The influence of the spatial characteristics of urban green space on the urban heat island effect in Suzhou Industrial Park

Urban green spaces can mitigate urban warming problems to some extent. However, the cooling effect of plants differs spatially and temporally, and with plant features. To understand how plants affect urban surface and air temperature, 15 urban green spaces in Suzhou Industrial Park were selected to study the diurnal variation of summer air temperature. At the same time, the mitigation effect of different types of green spaces on the urban heat island (UHI) effect was investigated and further research was undertaken on the effect of green space area, perimeter area ratio, green space average canopy density, average leaf area index (LAI), and other factors influencing the cooling effect. Based on these studies, three representative parks were selected as samples to investigate the cooling effect of urban green space in terms of the water and wind environment. It was found that in the summer, large green spaces had a stable cooling and humidifying effect, while small green spaces had the opposite effect. The cooling and humidifying effect of large green spaces was more obvious and stable, and the cooling effect of small green spaces was more variable, with a heat preservation phenomenon occurring in some cases. The cooling effect of each green area was positively correlated with the green area, the average LAI of green space, and the average canopy density of green space. The cooling effect of each green area was significantly negatively correlated with the green area perimeter. Water bodies within green spaces did not contribute to cooling; however, the cooling effect was related to the wind environment. From the perspective of the planning and construction of city green spaces it is important to increase the green area and the reasonable planning green perimeter area ratio; however, suitable tree species should be selected in the greening process. The effect of urban greening in improving the urban ecological environment has been established. It was concluded that the cooling effects of such green areas are largely determined by plant type, canopy density, and park shapes. Therefore, it is suggested that a stronger emphasis is placed on the selection of plant species and the design of park shapes to achieve environmental cooling effects.

Ecosystem services assessment of the urban forests of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Addis Ababa is a highland city with varied topography and landscape features. The mountains that surround the city are covered with urban forest of different types. These forests are providing various ecosystem services for the urban and peri-urban population of the city. Apart from surface temperature regulating function of the green spaces of Addis Ababa, no quantitative assessment of the carbon sequestration and soil protection ecosystem services provided by the urban forest has been conducted to date. The aim of this study was to assess selected ecosystem services such as carbon storage potential, habitat support and soil erosion protection provided by different categories of urban forest of Addis Ababa. The result showed that carbon density in the study area varied with forest categories viz. 293tons/ha, 142tons/ha and 132tons/ha in the dense, medium and open forest types respectively. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index is3.24 for Junipers dominated forest, 2.98 for mixed forest and 2.76 for Eucalyptus dominated forest. The formation of soil erosion features is significantly different among the Eucalyptus forest, Juniperus forest and Mixed forest where high incidence of soil erosion was recorded in the Eucalyptus forest. Therefore, irrespective of the environmental factors such as slope, aspect and elevation differences, there is an association between Eucalyptus forest cover and high soil erosion features. To ensure sustainable supply of ecosystem services and maintain a balanced urban environment, all green spaces in the city should be ecologically networked and diversified. Therefore, assessment of ecosystem services provided essential information for effective planning of the green space in terms of species composition and interconnectivity.