ASSESSING THE ROLE OF URBAN FOREST STRUCTURE IN CARBON SEQUESTRATION OF BEIJING, CHINA

Urbanization and climate change are global challenges, with cities contributing significantly to carbon emissions.Urban Forests (UF) mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon, but their potential depends on structural complexity and diversity.However, the relationship between UF structure and carbon storage remains poorly understood, particularly in rapidly urbanizing regions like Beijing.This study investigates how structural attributes of urban forests (UF) in Beijing, China, influence carbon density in biomass and soil.The structural attributes considered include species diversity, diameter and height class diversity, and stand structure.The aim of which is to optimize carbon sequestration through tailored management.Using Generalized Additive Models (GAMs), the study analyzed non-linear relationships between structural factors and carbon density.Both biomass and soil carbon dynamics were evaluated.Greater species and structural diversity, particularly in diameter and height classes, significantly increased biomass carbon density.Forests with heterogeneous structures showed greater carbon storage capacity.Larger tree metrics, such as average diameter at breast height (DBH), strongly correlated with both biomass and soil carbon density.Stand structure had minimal impact on soil carbon, which was more influenced by tree height and DBH.The GAMs demonstrated high predictive accuracy, with an adjusted R of 0.912 and 94.2% deviance explained.The study highlights the importance of structural complexity in UF for enhancing carbon sequestration.It recommends prioritizing the cultivation and conservation of larger trees, which significantly contribute to carbon storage.The use of GAMs offers a robust predictive tool for urban forestry management, providing actionable insights for policymakers and urban planners to optimize carbon storage and mitigate climate change impacts.