Mapping and Assessment of PM10 and O3 Removal by Woody Vegetation at Urban and Regional Level

Abstract

This study is the follow up of the URBAN-MAES pilot implemented in the framework of the EnRoute project. The study aims at mapping and assessing the process of particulate matter (PM 10 ) and tropospheric ozone (O 3 ) removal by various forest and shrub ecosystems. Different policy levels and environmental contexts were considered, namely the Metropolitan city of Rome and, at a wider level, the Latium region. The approach involves characterization of the main land cover and ecosystems using Sentinel-2 images, enabling a detailed assessment of Ecosystem Service (ES), and monetary valuation based on externality values. The results showed spatial variations in the pattern of PM 10 and O 3 removal inside the Municipality and in the more rural Latium hinterland, reflecting the spatial dynamics of the two pollutants. Evergreen species displayed higher PM 10 removal efficiency, whereas deciduous species showed higher O 3 absorption in both rural and urban areas. The overall pollution removal accounted for 5123 and 19,074 Mg of PM 10 and O 3 , respectively, with a relative monetary benefit of 161 and 149 Million Euro for PM 10 and O 3 , respectively. Our results provide spatially explicit evidence that may assist policymakers in land-oriented decisions towards improving Green Infrastructure and maximizing ES provision at different governance levels.

Urban Ecosystem Services Quantification through Remote Sensing Approach: A Systematic Review

“…For the estimation of local climate and air quality regulation services only, three 100% similar groups were identified: (i) Chen et al [93] and Zhang et al [77], both studies used LST and LULC (similarly to them, Greene et al [37] used the same techniques plus NDVI (commonly used for LST estimation purposed) to derive the same UES estimative); (ii) Fusaro et al [94] and Manes et al [95] used LULC and LAI; and (iii) Manes et al [96,97], used the same types of methods of Fusaro et al [94] and Manes et al [95] and added the MOCA (modeling of carbon assessment) and flux model to identify local climate and air quality regulating services.…”

Residential Greenery: State of the Art and Health-Related Ecosystem Services and Disservices in the City of Berlin

“…In general, urban trees in our study areas provide moderate to high benefits by absorbing air pollution. Evergreens and conifers play an important role in this regard [31,32]. Across all sampling sites, we revealed that one to two thirds of all trees have a high to very high allergenic potential ( Table 5).…”

“…Table A1. List, number, air pollution removal potential (modified by [31,32]) and allergenic potential (modified by [42,43,45,48], 93% of tree species are represented) of all woody and tree species sampled in the 32 sample plots divided by building type. Building types: Block-edge developments (Type I: Without large green backyards of the 1870s-1920s; Type II: With large green backyards of the 1920s-1940s); row-building settlements of the 1920s-1970s; and large housing estates of the 1970s-1980s.…”

“…In total, 17 scientific papers have been selected to cover three categories of benefits provided by woody species in urban environments. Trees, depending on species, considerably remove air pollution (e.g., [4,8,14,[31][32][33]). The main difference is between conifers (high capacity of air pollution removal) and broadleaf trees.…”

“…The main difference is between conifers (high capacity of air pollution removal) and broadleaf trees. The latter are divided into deciduous (moderate capacity) and evergreen (high capacity) trees (e.g., [31,32]). Bioclimatic stress is reduced by the shading and cooling of trees (e.g., [12,[34][35][36]).…”