Urban Forest Research Articles

Historical Pollution Exposure Impacts on PM2.5 Dry Deposition and Physiological Responses in Urban Trees

Historical Pollution Exposure Impacts on PM2.5 Dry Deposition and Physiological Responses in Urban Trees

Microbacterium rhizophilus sp. nov., an indole acetic acid-producing actinobacterium isolated from rhizosphere soil.

A novel gram-stain-positive, short rod, aerobic, non-motile and non-spore-forming actinobacterial strain, designated GXG1230T was isolated from the rhizosphere soil of a coastal mangrove forest in Beihai city, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, PR China. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain GXG1230T was affiliated with the genus Microbacterium. Additionally, it demonstrated a high degree of similarity to Microbacterium paludicola US15T (97.9%) and Microbacterium marinilacus YM11-607T (97.3%). Chemotaxonomic characteristics showed that the whole-cell sugars were glucose, xylose, rhamnose and galactose. Menaquinones MK-11 and MK-12 were detected as respiratory quinones. Lysine was found in the peptidoglycan hydrolysate and the polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, one phospholipid and two unidentified glycolipid. The major fatty acids were anteiso-C15:0, iso-C16:0 and anteiso-C17:0. The strain GXG1230T exhibited a genomic DNA G + C content of 71.7%. Furthermore, the average nucleotide identity values of GXG1230T with the reference strains were 75.4% and 81.9%, respectively, while the digital DNA-DNA hybridization values were 20.1% and 25.0%. Based on physiological, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic information, strain GXG1230T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Microbacterium, for which the name Microbacterium rhizophilus sp.nov is proposed, with GXG1230T (= MCCC 1K09302T = KCTC 59252T) as the type strain.

Green Initiatives for Climate Change Mitigation in Palakkad District of Kerala, India

Trees and forested ecosystems play a significant role in in meeting global commitments on sustainable development as well as adaptation to climate change and mitigation of its impacts. Aggressive tree planting goals to achieve canopy cover growth targets are a common manifestation to overcome the climate change challenges. Miyawaki forest creation, a method developed by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, involves planting trees per square meter which is intended for intensification of green cover to support local biodiversity. A food forest is essentially a planned and planted forest of food plants that provides a variety of food throughout the year. While both Miyawaki forest and food forest aim to restore ecosystems and enhance biodiversity, they differ in their design, purpose, and management practices. Hence a study on comparative analysis of food forests and Miyawaki forests was envisaged to highlight their respective benefits, challenges, and implementation strategies. The present investigation was undertaken on selected institutions of Palakkad district of Kerala namely Krishi Vigyan Kendra Palakkad where Miyawaki forest patch is created at its premises and V T Bhattathiripad College, Sreekrishnapuram where food forest is established. From this study it is understood that Miyawaki forest is reconnecting with the nature by harboring an array of native flora and fauna promoting biodiversity conservation and habitat restoration while food forest is reconnecting with nature by providing food source for pollinated server, as a habitat for many animals and it is very ecofriendly because don’t require any chemical pesticides. These techniques are highly effective in the establishment of urban forests as well as converting unproductive waste lands into ecological and socially beneficial productive lands.

Quantifying the impact of urban trees on air quality in Geneva, Switzerland

Atmospheric pollution threatens human health worldwide, with tropospheric ozone (O3) and particulate matter (PM) among the most harmful pollutants. Urban trees can reduce the concentration of air pollutants through dry deposition on their canopies and stomatal uptake. At the same time, urban trees can deteriorate air quality by emitting aerosol- and O3 precursors in the form of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs). O3 and PM removal, and BVOC emissions vary depending on the tree species. Therefore, the diversity and spatial distribution of urban trees significantly influence their impact on local air quality. This study employs a dual approach to assess and map the impact of urban trees on air quality in Geneva, Switzerland. Firstly, we use the i-Tree Eco model combined with a tree inventory (237,191 trees) to quantify BVOC emissions and PM10 (PM < 10 µm) and O3 removal at the genus level. Secondly, we develop a species-level parameterization using 51 common urban tree species to estimate the same variables and ozone-forming potential (OFP). Results show that the tree density is heterogeneous in the study area, leading to neighborhoods with greater biomass and, therefore, stronger influence by trees on local air quality. According to i-Tree Eco, urban trees in Geneva emitted 50 t of BVOCs, while removing 14 t of PM10 and 52 t of O3 in 2014. With the species-level parametrization, we estimate that urban trees removed about 66 ± 55 t of PM10 and 150 ± 96 t of O3 in 2014. However, they could also emit about 130 ± 52 t of BVOCs annually, which, under favorable conditions, can form 1153 ± 519 t of O3. Depending on the method, urban trees removed between 4 and 19 % of the anthropogenic PM10 emissions. The annual removal rates are comparable to findings in other European cities. The disparities between the two approaches are due to different parameterizations. This study could help urban planners to select adequate species for future planting programs in Geneva and more generally. It showed that the impact of urban trees on air quality is spatially heterogeneous but significant, and tightly linked to the species composition.

Continuous High-Precision Positioning in Smartphones by FGO-Based Fusion of GNSS-PPK and PDR.

The availability of raw Global Navigation Satellites System (GNSS) measurements in Android smartphones fosters advancements in high-precision positioning for mass-market devices. However, challenges like inconsistent pseudo-range and carrier phase observations, limited dual-frequency data integrity, and unidentified hardware biases on the receiver side prevent the ambiguity resolution of smartphone GNSS. Consequently, relying solely on GNSS for high-precision positioning may result in frequent cycle slips in complex conditions such as deep urban canyons, underpasses, forests, and indoor areas due to non-line-of-sight (NLOS) and multipath conditions. Inertial/GNSS fusion is the traditional common solution to tackle these challenges because of their complementary capabilities. For pedestrians and smartphones with low-cost inertial sensors, the usual architecture is Pedestrian Dead Reckoning (PDR)+ GNSS. In addition to this, different GNSS processing techniques like Precise Point Positioning (PPP) and Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) have also been integrated with INS. However, integration with PDR has been limited and only with Kalman Filter (KF) and its variants being the main fusion techniques. Recently, Factor Graph Optimization (FGO) has started to be used as a fusion technique due to its superior accuracy. To the best of our knowledge, on the one hand, no work has tested the fusion of GNSS Post-Processed Kinematics (PPK) and PDR on smartphones. And, on the other hand, the works that have evaluated the fusion of GNSS and PDR employing FGO have always performed it using the GNSS Single-Point Positioning (SPP) technique. Therefore, this work aims to combine the use of the GNSS PPK technique and the FGO fusion technique to evaluate the improvement in accuracy that can be obtained on a smartphone compared with the usual GNSS SPP and KF fusion strategies. We improved the Google Pixel 4 smartphone GNSS using Post-Processed Kinematics (PPK) with the open-source RTKLIB 2.4.3 software, then fused it with PDR via KF and FGO for comparison in offline mode. Our findings indicate that FGO-based PDR+GNSS-PPK improves accuracy by 22.5% compared with FGO-based PDR+GNSS-SPP, which shows smartphones obtain high-precision positioning with the implementation of GNSS-PPK via FGO.

Can wild urban woodlands be integrated into urban green infrastructure? Insights from urbanites and new urbanites in Chongqing, China

Wild urban woodlands (WUWs) are a novel category of urban forests and have been established as vital sources of diverse ecosystem services for local residents. Despite their potential to mitigate green gentrification, WUWs are often neglected in urban planning. Assessing whether different groups of residents accept WUWs as a part of urban green spaces and determining their preferred WUW type are critical for cities lacking green space supply. Therefore, a collection of photographs of 15 WUW patches was employed in this study to explore the preferences and attitudes of urbanites (n = 200) and new urbanites (i.e., individuals who have undergone a transition from rural to urban residency due to urban expansion; n = 206) toward five prevalent WUW categories and examine their perspectives on the future transformation of these WUWs. Accordingly, the following study results were obtained. (1) New urbanites exhibited greater support for integrating WUWs into urban green infrastructure compared to urbanites, primarily due to the limited supply of green spaces in their residential surroundings. (2) The one-way ANOVA shows significant differences in WUW preference scores between new urbanites and urbanites. Urbanites strongly preferred WUWs situated within stream corridors and the least for WUWs in urban villages. Conversely, new urbanites preferred WUWs on agricultural lands and found WUWs on industrial lands the least appealing. (3) Most participants expressed a desire to witness the planned transformation of WUWs. New urbanites preferred additional spaces for leisure activities, whereas urbanites hoped to witness visual improvements in the WUWs. (4) Multifactor ANOVA shows rural background significantly affects preferences scores. Spearman correlation indicates terrain ruggedness and surrounding construction intensity relate to preference. These findings underscore the substantial potential of WUWs in the urban greening in China. They contribute to urban managers' understanding of the diverse needs of the two urban resident groups regarding WUWs, thereby fostering equity in green space planning.

Wireless Wave Attenuation in Forests: An Overview of Models

In recent years, the need for reliable signal transmission in forested areas has increasingly grown, and the past few decades have witnessed significant developments in related research. With the emergence of smart forestry and precision forestry, understanding the science behind enhancing signal reliability in forests—specifically, studying the patterns and models of radio wave attenuation in these environments—has become crucial. To this end, we conducted a comprehensive review based on bibliometrics to summarize and construct the existing academic literature, revealing current research trends and hotspots. Utilizing bibliometric techniques, we analyzed the literature on radio wave attenuation in forests to summarize and evaluate previous studies. Our analysis indicates that empirical models (67%), hybrid models (21%), and equivalent models (12%) are the three main research clusters in this field. We observed that studies on radio attenuation are more prevalent in urban and artificial forests, while there is a scarcity of research in complex conditions like tropical rainforests and extreme weather; studies are more focused on UHF, VHF, and SHF frequency bands, with lesser attention given to other bands. Previous research has not adequately considered the impact of seasonal factors on signal attenuation patterns nor the influence of forest working environments.

Considering temporality for SES analysis with reflections from urban food forests and orchards

ABSTRACT Social ecological systems research has noted various understandings and experiences of time, however, these engagements tend to be underdeveloped. In this paper, we consider how SES analyses can make diverse experiences of time more apparent and better support SES research, management, and policy making. To consider how diverse temporal experiences might be better integrated in SES, we sketch how time and temporality have been addressed in SES research and in the social sciences and humanities. We argue that insights from social science and humanities, as well as other adjacent disciplines, have paved the way for thinking critically, relationally, and intentionally about time and temporality. To illustrate how temporality can be considered and the usefulness of such consideration, we discuss conceptual insights in relation to a series of vignettes from ongoing research in urban food forests and orchards. Bringing together these insights and key concerns of SES research, we propose a series of questions for explicitly engaging with temporality, oriented around the concepts of relational change, space and place and bodies and practice. We suggest that a more explicit and critical temporal focus is vital for SES scholars’ recent calls and efforts to more meaningfully engage with diverse ontologies, world views, and experiences.

Pathogens detected in ticks (Ixodes ricinus) feeding on red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) from city parks in Warsaw

The European red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) is a common host for Ixodes ricinus ticks in urban and rural habitats, however, studies on ticks and tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) of squirrels have not been conducted in Poland yet. Thus, the aims of the current study were to assess and compare the prevalence and abundance of ticks on red squirrels trapped at two sites in the Warsaw area (in an urban forest reserve and an urban park) and using molecular tools, to assess the genetic diversity of three pathogens (Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Rickettsia and Babesia spp.) in I. ricinus ticks collected from squirrels. For the detection of Rickettsia spp. a 750 bp long fragment of the citrate synthase gltA gene was amplified; for B. burgdorferi s.l. 132f/905r and 220f/824r primers were used to amplify the bacterial flaB gene fragments (774 and 605 bp, respectively) and for Babesia spp., a 550 bpfragment of 18S rRNA gene was amplified. In total, 91 red squirrels were examined for ticks. There were differences in tick prevalence and mean abundance of infestation in squirrels from the urban forest reserve and urban park. Three species of B. burgdorferi s.l., Rickettsia spp., and Babesia microti were detected in ticks removed from the squirrels. Our results broaden knowledge of S. vulgaris as an important host for immature I. ricinus stages and support the hypothesis that red squirrels act as a reservoir of B. burgdorferi. Moreover, we conclude that red squirrels may also play a role in facilitating the circulation of other pathogens causing serious risk of tick-borne diseases in natural and urban areas.

Categories of Tree Protection Legislative Provisions of Local Planning Authorities in Peninsular Malaysia

This study was conducted to identify categories of urban tree protection legislative provisions (TPLP) implementable by the local planning authorities (LPAs) in Peninsular Malaysia through a deductive thematic analysis of Act 172, Act 267, Act 171, Act 133, Act 536 and Park By-Laws. The results show that Malaysian urban TPLP categories are mainly found only in Act 172 and Act 267, and they are: 1) Tree Felling Prohibition, 2) Tree Preservation Order (TPO), and 3) Tree Protection Planning Conditions. The first category is for the LPAs to prohibit tree felling or other tree damaging activities without their consent. The second category is about orders made by LPAs to protect specific trees or groups of trees in the interests of amenity. The third category is pertaining to conditions imposed by LPAs on a grant of planning permission (Kebenaran Merancang) that requires the applicants to retain and protect any tree in the development. The outcomes of the analysis further suggested that Malaysian protected urban trees can also be group into two: 1) Regulated Trees, and 2) Registered Trees. The former category are trees with girth exceeding 0.8 m (Act 172) and 1.0 m (Act 267) protected by Tree Felling Prohibition provisions. The latter are trees protected by TPO provisions of both Act 172 and Act 267. All protected urban trees are subjects of the Tree Protection Planning Conditions. If properly implemented, the TPLP would be a vital tool for environmental conservation efforts.

Enhanced Cooling Efficiency of Urban Trees on Hotter Summer Days in 70 Cities of China

Increasing the urban tree cover percentage (TCP) is widely recognized as an efficient way to mitigate the urban heat island effect. The cooling efficiency of urban trees can be either enhanced or attenuated on hotter days, depending on the physiological response of urban trees to rising ambient temperature. However, the response of urban trees’ cooling efficiency to rising urban temperature remains poorly quantified for China’s cities. In this study, we quantify the response of urban trees’ cooling efficiency to rising urban temperature at noontime [∼1330 LT (local time), LT=UTC+8] in 17 summers (June, July, and August) from 2003–19 in 70 economically developed cities of China based on satellite observations. The results show that urban trees have stronger cooling efficiency with increasing temperature, suggesting additional cooling benefits provided by urban trees on hotter days. The enhanced cooling efficiency values of urban trees range from 0.002 to 0.055°C %−1 per 1°C increase in temperature across the selected cities, with larger values for the low-TCP-level cities. The response is also regulated by background temperature and precipitation, as the additional cooling benefit tends to be larger in warmer and wetter cities at the same TCP level. The positive response of urban trees’ cooling efficiency to rising urban temperature is explained mainly by the stronger evapotranspiration of urban trees on hotter days. These results have important implications for alleviating urban heat risk by utilizing urban trees, particularly considering that extreme hot days are becoming more frequent in cities under global warming.

Urban tree health assessment using multifaceted remote sensing datasets: A case study in Hong Kong

Although climate change is impacting various aspects of our environment, it is important to note that the overall risk to trees remains low, especially in urban areas like Hong Kong where the benefits of trees to society are significant. The trees planted in an urban setting are isolated and have several limiting factors including, excessive run-off, urban pollution, physical damage and limited root growth, which sometimes lead for tree failure incidents. The conventional on-site tree health assessment method is time consuming thus, requiring a remote sensing based method to effectively and routinely monitor the health status of urban trees. In this study several types of remote sensing datasets have been exploited to assess the health status of more than 700 Old and Valuable Trees (OVTs) and Stone Wall Trees (SWTs) around Hong Kong. These datasets include the data from Terrestrial LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) Surveys (TLS), Handheld Laser Scanner (HLS), Airborne LiDAR Surveys (ALS) and airborne multispectral data. For validation purpose, the in situ tree parameters data was also obtained from the Tree Management Office (TMO) of the Greening, Landscape & Tree Management Section (GLTMS) under the Development Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government. The results have indicated that over the period of four years (2017–2020) there has been a decline in the health of some target trees which can be attributed to the increased infestation rate in trees and severe weather conditions. The usage of LiDAR data has supported the fact that different tree structural forms can effectively be extracted and can help making informed decisions on the precise health conditions of urban trees.

Perceptions, Tensions, and Contradictions in Timber Construction: Insights from End-Users in a Chilean Forest City

The study addresses the underutilisation of wood in construction in Chile, particularly given the country’s robust forestry sector. The research investigates perceptions, tensions, and contradictions among end-users regarding timber construction in Valdivia, a city with a mixed forestry industry. Methods included a comprehensive survey of 96 households across various socioeconomic clusters, utilising descriptive and exploratory statistical analyses. Key findings reveal persistent negative perceptions about wood’s durability, fire resistance, and maintenance costs. However, positive aspects, such as lower construction costs and adequate thermal comfort, were also noted. Surprisingly, concerns were raised about wood’s environmental impact, including deforestation and its role in combating climate change, contrasting with the material’s known ecological benefits. The study concludes that these perceptions are deeply influenced by ideological and sociopolitical factors, suggesting that mere marketing strategies may not suffice to alter public opinion. Instead, a collaborative effort involving public policy, industry advancements, and transparent scientific communication is essential to promote the benefits of timber construction and address the entrenched biases.

Urban conservation and tree diversity: a case study in Parque Xokleng, Nova Veneza, Southern Santa Catarina

Urban forests can be defined as sets comprising vegetation fragments and isolated or grouped trees inserted in urban or peri-urban areas. Within this mosaic, urban fragments are important for biodiversity conservation. The aim of this study is to contribute to the knowledge about the structure of vegetation in an urban forest in the town of Nova Veneza, Santa Catarina, Brazil. The study was conducted in the Parque Natural Municipal Xokleng (PNMX). A phytosociological survey was conducted in the forest, using the plot method, in which 30 continuous plots of 10 m x 10 m were established. We considered a tree every individual that had a diameter at breast height greater than or equal to 5 cm. In this study, 497 individuals belonging to 75 species and 32 families were sampled, along with 14 dead individuals, three individuals identified only at genus level, and one unidentified individual. The species with the highest importance values were Tetrorchidium rubrivenium, Machaerium stipitatum, Ficus adhatodifolia, Cabralea canjerana, Mollinedia triflora. The vegetation structure is similar to the structure observed in other secondary forest fragments in the southern region of Santa Catarina. The presence of secondary species in the canopy and with high dominance values reflects the regeneration process the forest is undergoing.

Corrigendum to: A new pathogenic polypore on urban trees: The first record of Rigidoporus ulmarius (Rigidoporaceae, Hymenochaetales) in Hungary

Corrigendum to: A new pathogenic polypore on urban trees: The first record of Rigidoporus ulmarius (Rigidoporaceae, Hymenochaetales) in Hungary

Association between the visceral leishmaniasis vector Lutzomyia longipalpis and tree families in a Brazilian tropical urban area

BackgroundVisceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a neglected disease endemic to many tropical and subtropical countries. In Brazil, VL is caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania infantum and is transmitted by the sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis. The geographical variation in the incidence of the disease in certain urban areas of Brazil suggests a possible association with features of the urban landscape. The objective of this study was to verify the association of urban tree families with the presence of the vector Lu. longipalpis.MethodsThe study area of the municipality of Teresina, capital of the State of Piauí. The sand flies were captured using CDC light traps—one placed close to the houses, on a tree in the backyard, less than 5 m from the house, and another in the living room. The traps remained three consecutive nights, or, at the most, alternating days, working 12 h a night (from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.), during 2016 and 2017.ResultsTree species were identified in an area of 100 m radius around CDC-type traps for capturing Lu. longipalpis installed in household backyards. Association between tree families and the occurrence of Lu. longipalpis was evaluated using the Fisher exact test and multiple correspondence analysis. Both Anacardiaceae (represented by mango and cashew trees) and Meliaceae (neem) families were more commonly found around sand fly traps capturing fewer Lu. longipalpis. Conversely, Fabaceae (several species of legumes) and Myrtaceae (guava) trees were associated with traps capturing higher number of VL vectors. In multiple correspondence analysis, the presence of trees from the Myrtaceae, Combretaceae (Almond), Fabaceae and Arecaceae (different species of palm trees) families were grouped with traps capturing high number of insects.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that trees from the Fabaceae, Myrtaceae, Combretaceae, and Arecaceae families might potentially attract sand flies, and Anacardiaceae and Meliaceae families may have a repellent effect. Finer analyses to distinguish the specific effects from the different species of the Anacardiaceae (mango and cashew), Arecaceae and Fabaceae families are still needed. The manipulation of urban landscaping might be a useful and clean alternative to help in the control of urban VL.

Pedestrian accessibility of quadrant 3 in the city of Taquaritinga-SP-Brazil

Inclusive urban mobility is a central issue for the quality of life in any city, especially for those with mobility limitations, known as people with disabilities (PWD). The objective of this study was to propose an accessibility corridor for Quadrant 3 of the city of Taquaritinga-SP-Brazil and to diagnose the pedestrian accessibility conditions for people with disabilities (PWD) or reduced mobility (RM). The methodology used for this study involved the use of the free software Google Earth Pro, through the comparison of satellite images, in order to diagnose deficiencies in urban pedestrian places, focusing on the quality of accessibility ramps, the most commonly used materials, and the most common defects in sidewalks. The results indicated an urgent need for investment and targeted actions to improve pedestrian infrastructure in Quadrant 3 of Taquaritinga-SP, aiming not only to meet the basic mobility needs of PWD or RM individuals but also to promote a more inclusive and welcoming city for all its inhabitants. There is an urgent need for the implementation of more accessibility ramps, especially at public road intersections. Some of the suggested measures to promote integrated and inclusive urban mobility in the city of Taquaritinga-SP are: larger and well-maintained sidewalks, urban tree planning, improved asphalt pavement, and more appropriate ground sign. The study showed that the quality of accessibility ramps was rated between poor and fair. A slightly better rating was given to the types of materials used for sidewalk paving, considered good, with the predominant type being “screeded or smoothed mortar,” with or without painting. The most common pedestrian defects in the proposed corridor were rated as fair, with urban furniture predominantly obstructing the movement of PWD, RM individuals, among others. Data revealed pavement maintenance based on successive patches of asphalt. This study's data draw local authorities' attention to improving infrastructure in pedestrian spaces in Quadrant 3 of Taquaritinga-SP to make the city more inclusive.

Identification of urban street trees for green belt development for optimizing pollution mitigation in Delhi, India.

The current study evaluated the effects of air pollution on selected street trees in the National Capital Territory during the pre- and post-monsoon seasons to identify the optimally suitable tree for green belt development in Delhi. The identification was performed by measuring the air pollution tolerance index (APTI), anticipated performance index (API), dust-capturing capacity (DCC) and proline content on the trees. The APTI of street trees of Delhi varied significantly among different tree species (F11,88.91 = 47.18, p < 0.05), experimental sites (F3,12.52 = 6.65, p < 0.001) and between seasons (F1,31.12 = 16.51, p < 0.001), emphasizing the relationships between trees and other types of variables such as the climate and level of pollution, among other factors. This variability emphasizes the need to choose trees to use for urban greening in the improvement of air quality in different environments within cities. Ascorbic acid (AA) concentration and relative water content (RWC) had a strong influence on APTI with an extremely significant moderate positive correlation between AA concentration and APTI (r = 0.65, p < 0.001) along with RWC and APTI (r = 0.52, p < 0.001), indicating that higher levels of AA concentration and RWC are linked to increased air pollution tolerance. The PCA bi-plot indicates AA has poor positive loading coefficients with PC1 explaining 29.49% of the total variance in the dataset. The highest APTI was recorded in Azadirachta indica (22.01), Leucaena leucocephala (20.65), Morus alba (20.62), Ficus religiosa (20.61) and Ficus benghalensis (19.61), irrespective of sites and seasons. Similarly, based on API grading, F. religiosa and F. benghalensis were identified as excellent API grade 6 (81-90%), A. indica and Alstonia scholaris as very good API grade 5 (71-80%), M. alba, Pongamia pinnata and Monoon longifolium as good API grade 4 (61-70%) and Plumeria alba as moderate API grade 3 (51-60%) in different streets of Delhi. As these plants are indigenous to the region and hold significant socio-economic and aesthetic significance in Indian societies, they are advisable for avenue plantations as part of various government initiatives to support environmental sustainability.

Analysis of Public Satisfaction Levels in Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) City Forest Based on Socio-Cultural Functions

The Jakarta City Government, along with the central government, has implemented various measures to address the issue of air pollution that has become a serious problem for the city. One of the efforts undertaken is to increase the provision of urban green spaces and restore the function of the GBK City Forest as a public green open space (GOS). However, there has been no research showing the public's perspective and satisfaction with the utilization of the GBK City Forest. This study aims to determine the level of public satisfaction with the GBK City Forest based on social-cultural functions. The assessment indicators used to measure public satisfaction in this study are based on the theory of cultural ecosystem services developed by Shijie Gai et al. The data used in this study were obtained using mixed methods data collection techniques through questionnaires (quantitative) as well as in-depth interviews and literature studies (qualitative). Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that the majority of the public is highly satisfied with the utilization of the social-cultural functions of the GBK City Forest. However, some people still complain about the lack of supporting facilities for recreational activities and the disturbances from external parties that make them feel uncomfortable when engaging in activities at the GBK City Forest. Therefore, it is important for the government and the GBK City Forest management to consider public feedback and improve the quality and safety of the existing facilities.

Distinct features of topsoil carbon fractions across urban forests in eastern China

AbstractRapid urbanization has increased the areas of urban forests that store considerable soil carbon (C). Different soil C fractions may show distinctive contents and spatial patterns in view of their contrasting sensitivities to various drivers. However, current studies on soil C fractions are mostly limited to natural ecosystems and little is known about the large‐scale patterns and drivers of soil C fractions in urban forests. Based on a field survey of urban forests across a north–south transect in eastern China, we analysed the spatial variations and main drivers of topsoil (surface layer, 0–10 cm; subsurface layer, 10–20 cm) C fractions (i.e., soil organic C, SOC; soil inorganic C, SIC; particulate organic C, POC; mineral‐associated organic C, MAOC). Our results showed that topsoil contents of POC, MAOC and SOC changed non‐linearly with latitude, with lowest values occurring in the cities in the warm temperate region. In contrast, SIC content showed the highest values in the warm temperate region. POC instead of MAOC was found to be a major fraction of SOC in urban forests. The spatial variation in topsoil POC content was mainly explained by mean annual temperature, soil clay and silt content, and park age. The spatial variation in MAOC content was mainly explained by soil clay and silt content, mean annual precipitation, mean annual temperature and park age. In contrast, the spatial variation in SIC content was mainly explained by mean annual precipitation and soil pH. These findings demonstrate distinct features of different soil C fractions in urban forests and provide useful implications for urban soil carbon management.