Paper

Assessing and Perceiving the Carbon Storage Potential of Urban Green Spaces to Improve Environmental Sustainability: A Case Study in Parks of Zhengzhou, China 

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Abstract

The continuous increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide has been identified as a key driver of global climate warming (IPCC, 2023). Reducing carbon emissions and enhancing carbon sequestration have been widely recognized as two crucial strategies to mitigate climate change (Dhakal, 2010). As the main components of urban natural systems, urban green spaces (UGSs) provide various ecological functions that promote human health and ecological well-being (Wang et al., 2021). Utilizing the carbon sequestration potential of UGSs to offset carbon dioxide emissions is cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and politically acceptable. In China, the rapid increase in land demand due to high population density makes the direct expansion of UGSs more challenging (Li et al., 2020). However, with growing public awareness of climate change and the emphasis on ecological security in landscape planning, reassessing and understanding the carbon sequestration potential of existing UGSs could help maximize their benefits.

This study focuses on all the urban green spaces defined as parks in Zhengzhou, estimating the carbon sequestration potential of UGSs based on extensive field data and model applications (Figure 1). We analysed the changes in carbon sequestration with park size and the relationship between vegetation indicators and carbon sequestration density. Field surveys were conducted in 2021, collecting data on 17,626 trees and 2,162 shrubs from 805 plots across 123 parks (Figure 1,2). The total area of the 123 parks is 3,733 km².

Our results indicate that the carbon storage and sequestration of Zhengzhou's UGSs are 126.88 Gg C and 14.03 Gg C yr⁻¹, respectively. This means about 127 thousand tons (approx. 279,723 thousand pounds) of carbon is totally storaged in the Zhengzhou’s UGS and about 14 thousand tons (approx. 30,930 thousand pounds) of carbon is sequestered per year in Zhengzhou’s UGSs. Furthermore, Zhengzhou's UGSs can store 4.00 kg of carbon per square meter and sequester 0.38 kg of carbon per square meter per year. For the 123 parks in Zhengzhou, the average carbon storage density is 5.2 kg per square meter, and the average carbon sequestration density is 0.53 kg per square meter per year. Small UGSs seem to be more efficient and valuable for urban carbon sequestration compared to large ones (Figure 3). Furthermore, the influence of vegetation indicators on the carbon sequestration potential and the causes of carbon sequestration potential differences between UGSs will be further explored in this study to provide scientific information to decision-makers in urban planning. 

Keywords: carbon sequestration potential, urban green spaces, carbon storage potential

How to Cite:

Du, C., Ge, S., Wang, X., Hassan, Y. N. & Jombach, S., (2025) “Assessing and Perceiving the Carbon Storage Potential of Urban Green Spaces to Improve Environmental Sustainability: A Case Study in Parks of Zhengzhou, China ”, Fábos Conference on Landscape and Greenway Planning 8(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.7275/fabos.2485