ABSTRACT
Urban green space is identified as the leading actor in climate mitigation and carbon balance. A great number of papers studied the carbon sink capacity of urban green spaces. However, there is a lack of quantitative research on how the urban tree species and landscape facility materials affect carbon sinks and emissions. This paper combines the tools of i-Tree and Pathfinder to access the carbon sequestration, storage of trees, and carbon emissions of landscape facilities in an urban green space nearby Suzhou Creek of Shanghai. Moreover, Pearson correlation analysis is conducted between carbon sequestration and storage (CSS) and tree characters. The results reveal that the most related characteristics of trees with CSS are ordered as follows: leaf area, size of trees, and evergreen/deciduous characteristics. The paper also quantifies the carbon emissions of landscape facilities with 143.67 metric tons of CO2, slightly exceeding the trees’ carbon storage of 129.70 metric tons of CO2 in the site with an area of 1.12 ha. This work provides an optional list of high carbon storage tree species and low carbon emission materials for landscape planners. It also helps decision-makers in distinguishing low-carbon aesthetic styles and achieving carbon neutrality in the urban environment.
