Brazilian Journal of Enviromnent
Open Access Journal
CiteScore
0.5
Indexada na
SCOPUS
QUALIS
B3
2017-2021
quadriênio
Open Access Journal
0.5
Indexada na
SCOPUS
B3
2017-2021
quadriênio
Urban forests play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity, air quality, and the hydrological cycle by providing various ecosystem services. Due to their proximity to urban environments, these ecosystems are vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the ecosystem services provided by the vegetation in the urban and peri-urban areas of Juiz de Fora (Minas Gerais, Brazil). A land cover data survey was conducted using the iTree Canopy software, and subsequent estimates of pollutant sequestration and storage were generated. The financial calculation associated with these services was determined by valuing the equivalent tons of carbon (CO2 Equiv.) in dollars. The results revealed values of 220.55 kt (USD 20.9 million) of annual sequestration and 4,556.13 kt (USD 433.6 million) of CO2 Equiv. storage in the urban area. In the peri-urban area, an annual sequestration of 628.82 kt (USD 59.8 million) and storage of 13,514.12 kt (USD 1.3 billion) of CO2 Equiv. were estimated. These results emphasize the environmental and economic relevance of urban and peri-urban forests. Even considering the initial stage of carbon credit trading in Brazil, this study highlights the importance of monetary considerations as a basis for the development of policies aimed at conserving and preserving these ecosystems.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2025 Fabrício Alvim Carvalho, Júlia Guedes da Cruz, Helder Marcos Nunes Candido, Thales Castilhos de Freitas, Marcelly de Souza Ventura