Climate mitigation through urban forests: ecosystem services and species diversity in Rimba Ilmu, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia
Rahim, Nur Hanisah, Razak, Sarah Abdul, Fong, Chng Saun, Xue, Chang, Hasikin, Khairunnisa, Rohman, Fatchur, Hamzah, Siti Nasuha, Yaseen, Tabassum, Kaplan, Alevcan, Khan, Muhammad Nauman, Ercisli, Sezai
Urban forests are essential in mitigating climate change by providing ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and stormwater runoff reduction. The climate of Kuala Lumpur, where Rimba Ilmu is located, is classified as equatorial rainforest under the K & ouml;ppen-Geiger system. These climatic conditions, together with high humidity and minimal seasonal variation, support lush evergreen vegetation and high plant diversity, making Rimba Ilmu a representative model of an urban tropical forest ecosystem. This study evaluates the ecosystem services of fruit trees in the wild fruit area of Rimba Ilmu Botanical Garden, Universiti Malaya. Objectives include identifying and classifying the floristic composition and species diversity of fruit trees and assessing their ecosystem services. Rapid urbanization in Malaysia, particularly in Kuala Lumpur, has reduced green spaces, exacerbating issues like carbon emissions, urban heat island effects, and surface runoff. Fruit trees play a vital role in urban ecosystems by acting as carbon sinks. Using belt transect quadrats, 25 plots of 10 m x 10 m were analyzed, revealing 51 individual trees (diameter at breast height [DBH] >= 5 cm) across 14 species, 14 genera, and 11 families. The Meliaceae and Clusiaceae families were the most dominant, with Lansium domesticum having the highest importance value index (86.81). The i-Tree Eco analysis identified Lansium domesticum, Durio spp., and Garcinia mangostana as key contributors to ecosystem services due to their abundance. This study highlights the critical role of urban fruit trees in enhancing climate resilience by sequestering carbon and reducing runoff. The findings provide valuable insights for urban planning and forest management, emphasizing the importance of preserving and integrating fruit trees into urban landscapes to address environmental challenges effectively.
- Journal
- GENETIC RESOURCES AND CROP EVOLUTION
- Year
- 2025
- Volume
- 72
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 10457-10472
- ISSN
- 0925-9864
- eISSN
- 1573-5109
- DOI
- 10.1007/s10722-025-02578-7
- WoS UID
- WOS:001545082100001