Abstract Detail

Ecology

Coleman, Jovan [1], Grimes, Alexander [1], Whitcomb, Sean [2].

Ecosystem services provided by the urban forest of the Mesa Community College Arboretum.

Trees have been shown to help mitigate many of the environmental problems in urban areas, including air pollution, carbon emissions, and excess stormwater runoff. We performed this study to quantify ecosystem services provided by the trees at the Mesa Community College (MCC) Arboretum. The arboretum is a public garden that encompasses the entire 59-ha MCC Dobson campus in Mesa, Arizona, located in the Sonoran Desert. This preliminary study surveyed 1129 trees, belonging to 99 unique taxa, out of the estimated 1200 trees in the arboretum. A full survey was not possible due to COVID-19 restrictions. The total height and diameter at breast height (DBH) were measured for each tree between 2017 and 2020. These data were analyzed using the i-Tree Eco program from the U.S. Forest Service. Ecosystem services reported include air pollutant removal, carbon storage and sequestration, oxygen production, and avoided stormwater runoff. Tree canopy cover in the arboretum was estimated at 4.7%, and 46% of the trees had a DBH below 15.2 cm. The most common species were Quercus fusiformis (escarpment live oak) at 12% of all trees measured, Parkinsonia praecox (palo brea) at 6.5%, and Prosopis velutina (velvet mesquite) at 4.8%. The arboretum trees remove 185 kg of air pollutants per year. The pollutants reported include carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), ozone (O₃), particulate matter <2.5 µm (PM2.5), and sulfur dioxide (SO₂). The trees store 219.2 metric tons of carbon and sequester an additional 9.973 metric tons of carbon per year. The trees divert 153.2 m³ of stormwater per year. The replacement value of the MCC Arboretum trees is estimated to be $2.1 million. The ecosystem services quantified in this study will be used to guide planting decisions in the future as the MCC Arboretum develops.

1 - Mesa Community College, Life Sciences, 1833 West Southern Ave, Mesa, AZ, 85202
2 - Mesa Community College, Life Science, 1833 W Southern Ave, Mesa, AZ, 85202, United States

Keywords:
Ecology
Arboretum
ecosystem services
Urban forests
Urban ecosystems
Public garden.

Presentation Type: Poster
Session: P, Ecology Posters
Location: Virtual/Virtual
Date: Tuesday, July 28th, 2020
Time: 5:00 PM Time and date to be determined
Number: PEC015
Abstract ID:157
Candidate for Awards:None