Ecological Assessment of Developing Carbon Sequestration in Shenyang, China

Trend and Future of Sustainable Development

Conference, 9-10th June 2011.

Presenter: Zhang Tianlin

9th of June, 2011

Categories (in global acres)

Family Footprint(in acres)

Chinese national average Footprint (in acres)

Ratio of each category (in percentage)

Carbon Footprint 10.22 9.99 18.07%

Food Footprint 14.67 14.24 25.93%

Housing Footprint 6.11 4.87 10.80%

Goods and Service Footprint 25.57 14.10 45.20%

Family total footprint 56.57 43.20 -

Categories(in global acres)

Family Footprint (in acres)

Chinese national average footprint (in acres)

Ratio of each category (in percentage)

Cropland footprint 7.21 5.64 12.75%

Pastureland footprint 15.28 11.58 27.01%

Marine fisheries footprint 13.17 10.42 23.28%

Forestland footprint 20.90 15.57 36.95%

Family total footprint 56.57 43.20 -

Number of Earth 1.46 1.11 -

The proporti on of carbon emi ssi on f rom a fami l y i n theci ty of Shenyang

50%40. 72%

1. 13%

0. 57%

0. 40%

7. 28%

El ectri ci tyNatural gasWater suppl ySmal l carMotor vehi cl eAi r travel

Objectives

• Obstacles and ecologically risk appraisal of developing carbon sequestration in urban terrestrial ecosystem

• The amount of green lands for carbon cycle balance and their distributions

• Feasibilities for carbon sequestration• Climate policy decision for residents at local level (air quality

control, long-term climate change strategies)

Research questions

1. What are the primary resources of carbon emission in urban central area?

2. What are the risks for developing carbon sequestration in urban area?

3. How many trees should be planted for carbon neutral in urban terrestrial ecosystem?

4. What are the strategies for residents living in a low carbon environment? (Electricity consumption, natural gas and water uses, vehicle fuels consumption)

5. What is climate policy for citizens?

Methods

• Modelling the carbon cycle of urban ecosystem

• Ecologically-based life cycle assessment (eco-LCA)

• Geographical Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing application for making carbon sinks and population density distribution

Modelling the carbon cycle of urban ecosystem

Ecologically-Based Life Cycle Assessment (Eco-LCA) of Urban Ecosystem

• Calculate tree carbon sequestrating in addition of CO2 removal amount

• Ming Zhe Yuan Community as an example in urban central area and surrounding areas near the community are one small part for estimating urban sprawl CO2 removal rate.

• Carbon emission resource with reference to the data from wind direction frequency in urban meteorological station.

• Footprint characteristics of CO2 flux over the urban will be used for calculating the value of CO2 by heating equipments accumulating in the atmosphere.

Land use plan for urban central area

Central area of Shenyang City, 2005

Shenyang-Fushun urban agglomeration, land satellite image in 2010

Greenland distribution in central area of Shenyang

Landscape type Total area (m2) Ratio (%)

Public green land 20237714 23.2

Productive green land 4623271 5.3

Green buffer 14742128 16.9

Green space attached to urban road and square

11427330 13.1

Attached green space 5233892 6.0

Bordering green land 30967192 35.5

Total green land 87231526 -

Analysis on composition of urban green lands in Shenyang

Results

• The ecological footprints testing case of a single family in the community

• The carbon emission from households

• Calculation of biomass and carbon take up rate 1.12×106 kg of CO2 have been taken up by forest trees per acrea in one day.

• Carbon flow process in urban central area Main wind direction :east

Carbon emission resource: motor cars and heating equipments

Tree Diameter at 1.4m Stem Mass

Willow 14cm 53 kg

Chinese scholar tree 15cm 63kg

Pewter 19cm 142kg

According to the figure, the line equation can be drawn as y=-1.32+2.64xThe equation can be expressed as:Log10M=-1.32+2.64log10D The reference data equation is very close to the Martin, et al equation. So,Equation used in calculation log10M = -1.25 + 2.66 log10D (Martin equation)

Reference tree data of central area in Shenyang

0

0,5

1

1,5

2

2,5

1,15 1,18 1,28

log(Diameter)

log

(Mas

s)

Population density as an indicator for sustainable development

In 2010, population density is 75471.8/km2 in urban central area.

Landscape type Total area (m2) Ratio (%) Forested lands (acre)

Public green land 20237714 23.2 1873.08

Productive green land 4623271 5.3 427.9

Green buffer 14742128 16.9 1364.44

Green space attached to urban road and square

11427330 13.1 1057.64

Attached green space 5233892 6.0 484.42

Bordering green land 30967192 35.5 2866.128

Total green land 87231526 - 8073.6

Future plan for green land reforestation in urban central area of Shenyang, China

Findings

• The primary resources of carbon emission are motor cars, heating

equipments and activities of resident

• High population density

• Urban carbon cycle is imbalance

• 8073.6 acres were needed to sequestrate those carbon emissions

• 16 millions acres of green lands supposed to cover in the whole

city. (21554.6 acres of total green lands in urban central area at

the moment)

Conclusion

To live in a low carbon environment, the strategies for residents:

1.Control their electricity consumption less than 6.3kwh and 0.42 m3 of natural gas per day for the

residents to use.

2.Use 144kg water every day.

3. For small car emission, people can basically drive less than 0.31 kilometres for the people every day

living in ShenyangLocal climate policy for the citizens in Shenyang, China

• Use cleaner transport• Add energy-saving features to your home• Adopt energy-saving habits• Reduce your Food Footprint• Adopt water-saving habits• Reduce your Goods and Services Footprint

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Comments or questions?