MEASURING AIR QUALITY IMPACTS OF GREEN AREAS AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES (ESS) USING WEB-BASED I-TREE CANOPY TOOL: A CASE STUDY IN ISTANBUL

Abstract

In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the regulating ecosystem services for improving the air quality provided in the Kuzguncuk Neighborhood, which is located within the borders of Üsküdar district of Istanbul province. In this context, 5500 random points were identified within the boundaries of the research area by using the i-Tree canopy tool, which is a web-based tool. The land cover represented by each point is grouped into five classes: i) Tree/Shrub (tree and tall shrub vegetations), ii) Grass/herbaceous (areas covered with herbaceous vegetation, iii) Soil/Bare Ground (soil surface with little or no vegetation), iv) Impervious Surfaces (building, structures, asphalt, impervious roads, etc.) and v) Water (areas with streams or stagnant water). According to these classifications, the annual amount of carbon sequestered by the tree-shrub canopy in the Kuzguncuk neighborhood, the amount of CO₂, the amount of carbon they stored over their lifetimes, the amount of CO₂, and their economic contribution have been calculated. Additionally, the amount of significant air pollutants removed by this canopy, such as carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and particulate matter PM2.5 and PM10, and the economic benefits of removing these pollutants have been determined. The results showed that trees sequestered 855.93 tons of CO2 annually and stored 21,495.71 tons of CO2 in the neighborhood, 46.05% of which is covered with canopy. However, it was calculated that 69.94 kg of CO, 381.39 kg of NO2, 3,798.45 kg of O3, 240.34 kg of SO2, 184.57 kg of PM2.5 and 1,272.34 kg of PM10 particulate matter were removed from the atmosphere in a year by the vegetation cover. It has been calculated that the economic contribution provided by this removal is $ 2,251 per year. This study reveals the ecological and economic importance of green spaces for ecosystem services studies in urban areas by considering a neighborhood scale in determining the ecosystem services provided by the canopy cover. It is thought that the numerical values obtained in this sample region will contribute to urban planning strategies in terms of green infrastructures for future studies.