Relative Analysis for Carbon Sequestration Potential of Prominent Private and Public Green Spaces in Bengaluru, India

Abstract

With the advent of Climate Change and Global Warming, highly populated urban spaces are becoming more prone to various Environmental disasters. While forest are good sinks of CO2, it is highly impossible to introduce them into urban-level planning. In this context, nurturing Urban Green Spaces within cities, can serve well to perform the regulatory functions just like forests do. However, it is also imperative that their inception, must also ensure effective carbon sequestration. The objective of current research includes determination of carbon sequestration value for various ‘tree’ species, which eventually would serve to identify species with potential to serve better in Strategic Climate Sustainable Township Guidelines. To accomplish this objective, firstly three observatories (Richard’s Park, BMSIT&M Green Campus, and Lalbagh Botanical Garden) having distinct floral diversity were selected. Further, physical data collection was undertaken at these observatories and employed for biomass computation viz. ‘Biostatistics-based Allometric’ equation. Statistical Validation of data was accomplished viz. Multiple Linear Regression Modelling and One-way ANOVA. The average value of carbon sequestered (in tonnes per species) was found to be 20.13, 0.727 and 0.292, at Lalbagh Botanical Garden, Richard’s Park, and BMSIT&M, respectively. Upon comprehensive evaluation, it was found that best three species offering high carbon sequestration potential are Eucalyptus grandis, Eucalyptus globus and Samanea saman. These species would hence be keystone species that could play a potential role in naturally lowering CO2 levels in intra-urban spaces. These species would serve well in empowering Green Spaces to behave as Urban Cool Islands, to combat Urban/Global Warming.