MAPPING THE FUTURE OF CHARLESTON’S CANOPY COVER
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Copley, Jena
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Biproducts of urbanization, such as increased air pollution, have become a concern in growing cities across the globe (Borck et al., 2021). Researchers have started to explore the potential ecosystem services provided by urban forests and how best to optimize these services in combating climate change impacts (Escobedo et al., 2011). In recent years the City of Charleston has developed new planting and maintenance strategies to increase their urban forests (“Trees to Offset…”; Department of Parks, 2021). In analyzing the current plans recommended by the City of Charleston it is clear that using trees for air pollution mitigation and focus on tree equity are somewhat overlooked (“Trees to Offset…”; Department of Parks, 2021). GIS analysis of the canopy cover in the 25 neighborhoods across the City of Charleston peninsula revealed an average of only 24.2% canopy cover, 19.1% below the American Forests recommended 43.3% (Nowak et al. 2021). Unfortunately, room to grow canopy cover on the peninsula is very limited with only 900.94 acres available for planting across all neighborhoods, there is a total shortage of approximately 326.26 acres needed to reach 43.3% canopy cover within 16 of the 25 peninsula neighborhoods. Mapping and statistical analysis revealed that minority and impoverished neighborhoods are the ones suffering the most from a lack of canopy cover. Sociodemographic and air quality data visualized that the communities most at risk for air pollution impacts are these same minority and low-income communities. In order to tailor the urban forest to better promote air pollution mitigation we need to focus on the practice of planting and maintenance strategies that target increasing canopy cover, diversifying species, and planting in areas that are under 43.3% canopy cover. This research has helped to identifying these priorities with the goal of increasing canopy cover while decreasing environmental health risks and environmental injustice on the City of Charleston peninsula.