How much carbon can shrubs store? Measurements and analyses from Finland
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A1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä
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Date
2024-11
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Language
en
Pages
10
Series
Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, Volume 101, pp. 1-10
Abstract
Effective sequestration of carbon from the atmosphere is essential to combating climate change. Many cities have set ambitious carbon neutrality goals, highlighting the significance of urban vegetation as a carbon sink. Integrating urban vegetation into the urban form involves a multi-stage decision-making process, with planning and design playing a key role in the determination of space allocation and plant species selection. While carbon-smart design decisions are often based on emission databases and environmental product declarations (EPD), comprehensive data for urban vegetation is lacking. This study aims to assess carbon stocks in urban shrubs of Finland using dry-weight measurements. The measurements involve separating above- and below-ground parts of shrubs and assessing size indices (SIs). The results indicate species-specific differences in the proportion of root mass to total biomass. Furthermore, the below-ground biomass of plants spreading through sucking rhizome networks cannot be predicted by the size index. Although SIs do not directly describe below-ground biomass, they can predict the total dry weight. Generalising the data to shrub size categories provides an understanding of carbon stocks, but further research is essential, particularly for the process of implementing vegetation in urban settings.Description
Publisher Copyright: © 2024
Keywords
Biomass, Carbon storage, Dry weight, Shrubs, Size category, Size index
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Citation
Tommila, T, Tahvonen, O & Kuittinen, M 2024, ' How much carbon can shrubs store? Measurements and analyses from Finland ', Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, vol. 101, 128560, pp. 1-10 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2024.128560