Green Space is very important for the conservation of biodiversity in the urban areas of Thailand. In the case of Bang Kachao, Green Space has been improved by the development of gardens in the city. The objective of this study focused on an evaluation of the benefits of big trees in the urban area at Bang Kachao Green Space, Samutprakan province. Data was collected from six types of tree habitat classified as road side, abandoned area, public area, private area, temple area, and park located across six sub districts of Bang Kachao. Data were analyzed to evaluate the monetary value of big trees from direct and indirect benefits in three parts consisting of timber value, carbon credits value, and spiritual value. The results reveal that the most valuable big trees are in the parks, followed by temple area, road side, private area, abandoned area, and public area respectively. The total monetary value of big trees was 23,447 USD of which timber value was 13,844 USD, carbon credits value was 7,309 USD, and spiritual value was 2,294 USD. The evaluation suggests that management of high value big trees in park, temple, and road side areas is important from a stakeholder perspective. The recommendations based on this study will help develop appropriate policies for sustaining ecosystem services and contributions to human wellbeing.

Urban trees provide numerous ecosystem services in cities such as pollution absorption and reduced urban heat island intensity, energy use, and mental fatigue. Understanding urban tree species diversity can enhance tree planning and management in rapidly urbanizing areas. However, few studies have examined the effects of urbanization on urban tree diversity in Thailand. This study assessed the diversity of large trees in urban landscapes including 11 cities along the 372 km Chao Phraya River Rim in central Thailand. Species diversity, importance value, and distribution were evaluated in each city. Our survey documented 987 large trees belonging to 65 species, 48 genera, and 31 families. The dominant species of Dipterocarpus alatus and Hopea odorata had the highest importance and relative abundance. The highest abundance of large trees was seen in the rural city of Sing Buri, while large urban cities such as Ayutthaya and Bangkok exhibited the highest species diversity. Detrended correspondence analysis indicated that the diversity of unique species was high in large urban cities, while dominant and common species were ubiquitous in rural cities. These findings suggest that large trees are few in number but exhibit high species diversity in large rapidly urbanizing cities. Therefore, preserving good site conditions is critical for the survival of large trees in urban cities. Heritage tree registration may aid preservation efforts and enhance the benefits of these large trees in rapidly urbanizing areas.

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