Environmental Services of Urban Trees in Chiang Mai University, Thailand Using i-Tree Tools

Urban tree inventories provide valuable insights into environmental and economic benefits, particularly in the context of climate change mitigation and ecosystem services. This study integrated geographic information systems (GIS) and web-based applications with spatial ecology methods to analyze urban trees within the main campus of Chiang Mai University (CMU), Thailand. Using i-Tree tools, including i-Tree Eco, i-Tree Canopy, and the i-Tree database, a tree inventory in 2022 was conducted to assess environmental services. The study identified the three most prevalent tree species: Tectona grandis, Butea monosperma, and Cassia fistula. The i-Tree Eco analysis estimated that urban trees stored 929 tons of carbon, sequestered 42.73 tons of carbon annually, removed 434.9 kilograms of air pollutants, and prevented 1,114 cubic meters of runoff. These findings highlight the significance of i-Tree as a web-based tool for quantifying urban tree benefits, particularly in addressing climate-related challenges such as air pollution. Future efforts should focus on continuous data collection and annual parameter updates to enhance the accuracy and applicability of i-Tree for users in Thailand and beyond.