Identifying Supply and Demands of Ecosystem Services From Urban Street Trees, and Design Through Nature-Based Solutions for Longterm Provision of Ecosystem Service in Hawassa City, Ethiopia
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Date
2024-06-01
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Urban trees offer a variety of advantages due to the variety of tasks they carry out. Theyare an important component of urban and suburban areas and can change the way streets look and offer a variety of ecosystem service (regulating, provisioning, supporting, and cultural) benefits. However, urban trees are highly influenced by people and other factors that can negatively affect ecosystem service provision. When street trees are planted in Hawassa, ecosystem service is not taken into account; instead, the emphasis is placed on aesthetics, shade, and quickly growing plants rather than user demand and the ecosystem service provision by the street tree that led to ecosystem service supply and demand imbalance. This study was conducted on five different streets in Hawassa city and ecosystem services examined in the study are local climate regulation, air quality regulation, storm water management, aesthetic value, recreation and human health, biodiversity, food provision, and sense of place. The objectives of the study are assessing the existing street tree species type and street scape element, identifying challenge of street tree development and management, and identifying the supply and demands of ecosystem service provision from urban street trees. During the study, 1588 mature trees, representing 37 species, 22 families, and 665 sapling trees, representing 13 species and 11 families have been identified. The study was conducted by collecting data from street user and officials who have direct involvement in urban planning managing and developing the street and by conducting observations on the selected streets. In analyzing the data descriptive statistic for the questionnaire filled by street user and simple qualitative analysis are used for information from key informant interview and observation made on the street. Results indicated that the availability of street scape elements are rated from very poor to medium. Likewise, it also indicated that there is a lack of street scape element along the street and the study also highlight several challenges associated with street trees, lastly, most participants demanded a very high level of ecosystem services provided by street trees, especially for local climate regulation, air quality regulation, storm water management, and sense of place indicates that there is a significant gap between the provision of and demand for ecosystem services provided by street trees in urban areas. In general, the study forwards a recommendation for enhancing he current status of street tree and for future development and forwards new possible design prototypes that considers street scape element in relation street tree to maximize the valueof ecosystem provision.
Keywords: Urban street tree, Ecosystem service, Ecosystem supply, Ecosystem Demand ,streetscape element