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cje ›› 2011, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (04): 810-817.

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Assessment of urban forest economic benefits based on i-Tree model: Research progress.

MA Ning1,2, HE Xing-yuan1, SHI Xian-feng3, CHEN Wei1**   

  1. 1Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China|2Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 110049, China|3Watercourse Management Department, Water Authority of Qingyuan Manzu Autonomous County, Liaoning Province, Qingyuan 113300, Liaoning, China
  • Online:2011-04-08 Published:2011-04-08

Abstract: Urban forest provides numerous benefits in improving the environmental quality in and around urban areas. To quantify the ecosystem services of urban forest is an important prerequisite to make the maximum use of the services. With the advancement of research work, the methods for evaluation urban forest economic benefits have developed from CLTA method, Burnley method, carbon duty method, and reforestation cost method to model calculation method. In this paper, the i-Tree model developed by the USDA Forest Service in 2006 was introduced. Comparing with other models such as CITYgreen model, the i-Tree model has many irreplaceable advantages, and been widely used in international urban forest research but not in China. Here, the research and application progress of this model were described and evaluated from the aspects of the benefits quantified by the UFORE and STRATUM modules in the model, and, based on our domestic practices, the prospects and main questions in using this model in China were discussed.

Key words: Fagus engleriana, Seedling estalishment, Regeneration, Light conditions, Soil nutrients