Abstract
More than 50% of the world population (∼3.5 billion) lives in urban areas, and the relative magnitude will increase to 60% by 2030. The highest rate of urbanization in the world is in Latin America, and in the emerging economies of China and India. Urban ecosystems, covering ∼3% of the terrestrial land area, strongly influence biogeochemical cycles of elements (C, N) and water, and alter regional and global climate through gaseous emissions. Yet, urban lands are an important C pool with a C density as high as 20–40 kg C m−2. Because of intensive management, the above ground net primary productivity can be 300–400 g C m−2 year−1. Principal components of the ecosystem C pool include urban forests, lawns and turfs and recreational grounds, and soil C pool. The net ecosystem C pool can be enhanced by reducing the hidden C costs associated with management. Urban agriculture is gaining importance and adds to multifunctionality of urban landscapes. Urban ecosystems have a large technical potential to sequester C in soils and biota through judicious management. While sources of gaseous emissions must be reduced, C sink capacity of urban lands can be enhanced through adoption of recommended management practices.
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Abbreviations
- ACC:
-
abrupt climate change
- ANPP:
-
above-ground net primary productivity
- C:
-
carbon
- GCC:
-
global carbon cycle
- GHGs:
-
greenhouse gases
- HCC:
-
hidden carbon costs
- NEE:
-
net ecosystem exchange
- NPP:
-
net primary productivity
- SOC:
-
soil organic carbon
- USDA:
-
United States Department of Agriculture
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Lal, R. (2012). Urban Ecosystems and Climate Change. In: Lal, R., Augustin, B. (eds) Carbon Sequestration in Urban Ecosystems. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2366-5_1
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