Assessment of Regulatory Ecosystem Services of Amasya University Hakimiyet Campus
An Erratum to this article was published on January 31, 2025. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/jaes/article/1632254
Abstract
Background: Population growth, increasing vehicle numbers, unplanned urbanization and rural-urban migration are reducing green spaces and exacerbating environmental problems such as air, water and noise pollution. In this context, university campuses serve as important small-scale urban models that play a crucial role in maintaining environmental and social well-being within urban ecosystems. Objectives: To evaluate the regulating ecosystem services provided by the tree canopy at Amasya University Hâkimiyet Campus (AUHC), such as air quality, energy savings, and carbon storage. Method: In this study, the land cover and ecosystem services of the AUHC were assessed using the i-Tree Canopy model. Six land cover classes defined for the study area (tree/shrub, grass/herbaceous vegetation, soil/bare ground, impervious buildings, impervious roads, other impervious surfaces) were assessed using 4000 random points and ecosystem services such as air quality were calculated. Results: The tree and shrub canopy covering 31.30% of the AUHC removes 261.53 kg of gaseous and particulate pollutants from the air annually, sequesters 36.57 tons of carbon, and stores a total of 918.42 tons of carbon. The economic value of these ecosystem services was calculated as $758 for air pollution removal and $44420 for carbon storage. The land cover distribution of the campus shows that 57.35% consists of impervious surfaces (buildings, roads) and 42.05% is green space. Conclusion: The tree canopy at the AUHC makes a significant contribution to ecosystem services such as improved air quality, carbon sequestration and storage, and these contributions and economic benefits could be further enhanced by increasing tree cover.
Keywords
Regulatory ecosystem services , i-Tree Canopy model , Amasya University Hakimiyet Campus (AUHC) , Türkiye
Kaynakça
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