ABSTRACT
Anthropogenic activities, such as deforestation and changes in land use, were the dominant source of CO2 emissions until the Industrial Revolution, when the combustion of fossil fuel became dominant. The link between urbanization and global climate change is complex, and the knowledge of urban carbon exchanges is important to better understand the interaction of natural and anthropogenic processes that control the role of cities in the global warming phenomenon. Emissions resulting from heating buildings and other household services represent the second most important CO2 source. The total carbon dioxide flux in ACASA is estimated considering both the human emissions and emissions and uptake by vegetation and soil. Anthropogenic sources considered by the model include fuel combustion due to transportation and human bodily respiration components (RA). Models and methodologies to improve urban CO2 flux estimates require further testing and development, but they represent a promising perspective for developing Decision Support Systems for sustainable urban planning.
