Title: Spatial heterogeneity and air pollution removal by an urban forest

Author: Escobedo, Francisco J.; Nowak, David J.

Year: 2009

Publication: Landscape and Urban Planning. 90: 102-11.

Abstract: Estimates of air pollution removal by the urban forest have mostly been based on mean values of forest structure variables for an entire city. However, the urban forest is not uniformly distributed across a city because of biophysical and social factors. Consequently, air pollution removal function by urban vegetation should vary because of this spatial heterogeneity. This paper presents a different approach to evaluate how the spatial heterogeneity of the urban forest influences air pollution removal at the socioeconomic subregion scale. Air pollution removal for July 1997 to June 1998 and July 2000 to June 2001 were estimated using measured urban forest structure data from three socioeconomic subregions in Santiago, Chile. Dry deposition was estimated using hourly climate, mixing height, and pollutant concentration data.