Assessment and valuation of the ecosystem services provided by urban forests

This chapter reviews the state of science regarding the ecosystem services provided by urban forests and how they are valued. The role of urban forests in providing carbon sequestration, air quality improvement, microclimate amelioration, noise reduction, stormwater retention and filtration, wildlife habitat, and opportunities for improving human health and biodiversity conservation are discussed with numerous citations included. A variety of valuation methods are presented. Empirical valuation of urban forest benefits is described in detail with a focus on the research of McPherson, Akbari, and Nowak. Finally, management applications following from the quantification and valuation of urban forest ecosystem services are described.