Ecosystem services assessment in urban green areas and urban forests: Rapid Assessment Protocol for cities

Urban planners must have a tool that communicates to stakeholders the benefits of green spaces in cities. Indicators ought to be economically feasible and easily understandable within a multidimensional perspective of ecosystem services. This study proposes an instrument that assesses the quality of ecosystem services supply in urban green areas and urban forests, evaluating the weaknesses and strengths of each area, quickly, simply, and still sensitively. We chose sensitive and application-friendly indicators, based on their applicability to Brazilian reality, in medium to highly urbanised areas. The indicators were ranked in four grades representing the ecosystem service supply in each area, from extremely unsatisfactory to extremely satisfactory conditions. After tests in different urban green areas and urban forests, in Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brazil, the protocol was calibrated, and indicators were adjusted to urban context and biome specificities. The calibrated and ready-to-use protocol was presented, assessing: five Cultural services with eight indicators, two Provisioning services with two indicators, four Regulating services with five indicators, and three Supporting services with three indicators. Qualitative and quantitative indicators were combined to comprehensively assess complex areas. The protocol contemplated all ecosystem service categories in order to respond to different management needs. Several indicators were tailored to urban contexts and local scale. Finally, cities may use this comprehensive list of ecosystem service indicators, already adapted for urban context, as an inspirational checklist for describing their urban green areas and urban forests’ weaknesses and strengths.