Land Use Policies and Ecosystem Services
The five different land cover types that I identified were Trees (T), Roads (R), Sidewalk (S), Grass (G), Water (W), Aggregate (AG), and Buildings (B). Take a look at the chart above. Trees and buidings dominate this landscape with turf-covered areas sprinkled throughout. With the existing tree cover, the monetary value of Carbon Dioxide sequestered annually in trees is expected to be around $1,878.28. Also, the monetary value of the amount of ozone removed annually is $35.71.
Trees are air-purifiers, taking in Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere and produce the Oxygen that we need to live. CO2 is a naturally occuring gas but it also is emitted into the atmosphere with the help of human activity. It is also a greenhouse gas. It "accounts for up to 84% of all greenhouse gases emitted by human activity." With the introduction of more trees on this site, the amount of CO2 taken in and released as Oxygen would increase causing the value to increase.
Areas to integrate new foliage on our site are vast. Although the area is already highly shaded with trees, introducing more on areas where concrete is fully exposed at all times during the day would help with the particulate matter that is being removed. The more trees you have, the more particulate matter is removed. Additionally, adding trees to these areas will not only decrease the temperature of these spaces, but, it provides a more walkable space both visually and in safety terms.
On our walk, the only area that was truly uncomfortable in every sense of the journey was the short strip on Lumpkin Drive that we ventured up. It consists of asphalt, concrete, iron, and trees that don't provide much shade due to their distance from the sidewalk. Pedestrians are extremely hot during the afternoon hours and with all of the refelctive surfaces, it does not help. By introducing more shade trees here, individuals wouldn't dread walking this portion of campus as much. It would be seen as a more "walkable" area. It also provides more housing spaces for different animals that we have on campus.