Stand-alone trees in cities near streets, in parks, gardens, and cemeteries significantly contribute to human health and well-being by providing essential ecosystem services (ES), encompassing tangible and intangible benefits derived from ecosystems, as defined by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005). These services include mitigating climate change through CO₂ sequestration, providing habitat for urban wildlife, creating opportunities for recreation and relaxation, and enhancing the aesthetic quality of urban landscapes. Such services directly or indirectly impact human health and security. Therefore, nurturing city trees not only increases the resilience of cities, but also improves the well-being of urban residents.

Despite the widespread recognition of the term “ecosystem services”, their true value is often not fully appreciated in decision-making processes. Consequently, the diverse benefits of urban trees are not adequately incorporated into urban planning and management.

The main objective of this doctoral dissertation is to develop a non-monetary, point-based approach (ES Point System) to evaluate and standardize the four categories of ecosystem services (provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural) and disservices provided by urban trees. Additionally, the research project aims to assess the feasibility of implementing this system and integrating it into arboricultural and green space planning practices in Karlsruhe, Germany. The approach is also designed to be scalable for future implementation in other urban settings.

Adopting a transdisciplinary approach, the project actively engages experts and stakeholders, including city administrations, whose involvement is crucial for the development and acceptance of the ES Point System and the assessment of its potential implementation.

Furthermore, this research project intends to evaluate the subjective perception of citizens regarding the cultural ecosystem services provided by urban trees and explore methods to quantify and integrate these services into the ES Point System.

This system aims to be a practical tool for integrating ecosystem services into urban planning processes, ensuring their systematic consideration, and fostering greater awareness of their intrinsic value among decision makers and the broader public.

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