A Comprehensive Assessment of Urban Forest Scenarios Using LCA and InVEST Models

• DOI: 10.5194/egusphere-egu25-17991
• Publication Date: 2025-03-15T04:54:01Z
• Authors: Jiangong Bi; Yoonji Kim; Yoon Jung Kim; Junga Lee

Urban forests play a critical role in addressing various urban environmental challenges, such as mitigating climate change, enhancing biodiversity, and improving habitat connectivity. To optimize the spatial allocation management of forests, it is essential to consider both impacts (e.g., carbon emissions resource consumption) ecosystem services storage quality)(Chaplin-Kramer et al., 2017). In this context, study employs Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) evaluate costs associated with forest establishment maintenance, InVEST model assess localized on through spatially detailed analysis. By integrating these methodologies, comprehensive evaluation development strategies conducted.To address challenges rapid Sejong City, evaluates two scenarios: centralized (large-scale, contiguous forests) decentralized (multiple, small-scale forests). designated 2007 officially launched 2012 Korea’s administrative capital, has undergone extensive urbanization over past decade, resulting significant loss, degradation ecological quality, increased fragmentation (Sejong 2024). These trends highlight need for mitigation strategies, emerging promising solution.This openLCA software quantify costs, including emissions, energy consumption, usage, incurred during maintenance forests. Furthermore, Carbon Storage Sequestration Habitat Quality are utilized simulate explicit changes quality under scenarios. results, provides assessment performance each scenario, offering valuable insights formulation sustainable land-use planning.The analysis revealed that development, characterized by small across multiple locations, effectively mitigates fragmentation, suitable habitats diverse species, enhances biodiversity strengthening connectivity increasing species richness environments. contrast, incurs higher initial but greater long-term stability large forests.This demonstrates integration LCA modeling robust framework comprehensively evaluating strategies. quantitatively assessing trade-offs between benefits, research identifies importance balanced approaches. *This work was supported Core Research Institute Basic Science Program National Foundation Korea (NRF) funded Ministry Education(NRF-2021R1A6A1A10045235).