Assessment of Regulatory Ecosystem Services of Amasya University Hakimiyet Campus

Background: Population growth, increasing vehicle numbers, unplanned urbanization and rural-urban migration are reducing green spaces and exacerbating environmental problems such as air, water and noise pollution. In this context, university campuses serve as important small-scale urban models that play a crucial role in maintaining environmental and social well-being within urban ecosystems. Objectives: To evaluate the regulating ecosystem services provided by the tree canopy at Amasya University Hâkimiyet Campus (AUHC), such as air quality, energy savings, and carbon storage. Method: In this study, the land cover and ecosystem services of the AUHC were assessed using the i-Tree Canopy model. Six land cover classes defined for the study area (tree/shrub, grass/herbaceous vegetation, soil/bare ground, impervious buildings, impervious roads, other impervious surfaces) were assessed using 4000 random points and ecosystem services such as air quality were calculated. Results: The tree and shrub canopy covering 31.30% of the AUHC removes 261.53 kg of gaseous and particulate pollutants from the air annually, sequesters 36.57 tons of carbon, and stores a total of 918.42 tons of carbon. The economic value of these ecosystem services was calculated as $758 for air pollution removal and $44420 for carbon storage. The land cover distribution of the campus shows that 57.35% consists of impervious surfaces (buildings, roads) and 42.05% is green space. Conclusion: The tree canopy at the AUHC makes a significant contribution to ecosystem services such as improved air quality, carbon sequestration and storage, and these contributions and economic benefits could be further enhanced by increasing tree cover.