Assessing McGill’s Ecosystem Services

Sophia Klumpp

Andrea Lattik

Ida Mak

Elizabeth Moseman

Mark Smith

Anaïs de ValicourtProf. Garry Peterson

Client: SCE – McGill Sub-Committee on Environment

Outline of Presentation

• Research Statement

• Air Filtration

• Noise Reduction

• Recreational Opportunities

• Recommendations

Ecosystem Services• Definitions:

– “The benefits human populations derive, directly or indirectly, from ecosystem functions.”

Costanza 1997

– “Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems.”

Millennium Assessment 2003

Ecosystem Services

Pollination

Prevention of soil erosion

RecreationAgriculture

ecosystems

Ecosystem services

humans• Air filtration

• Noise reduction

• Recreational opportunities

Context of Research

Research Statement

Assess select ecosystem services as they currently exist and evaluate their enhancement in terms of tradeoffs.

Selection of Services

Time constraints & feasibility of quantification

• Extensively researched with developed methodology

• Feasible to assess without prior knowledge

Context of Research

Characteristics of the McGill Campus Ecosystem:

- Urban environment

- Human dominated

ecosystem

- Artificially maintained

with constant inputs

Outline of Presentation

• Research Statement

• Air Filtration

• Noise Reduction

• Recreational Opportunities

• Recommendations

McGill Campus Stats

Study area:

9 hectares

22.15 acres

Percent tree cover:

19%

Air Filtration on McGill Campus

• CARBON STORAGE:

CITYgreen = 68 tons of carbon/haUK Model = 20 tons of carbon/ha

• CARBON SEQUESTRATION:

CITYgreen = 0.7 tons of carbon/ha/yearUK Model = 0.16 tons of carbon/ha/year

Result Comparisons

LOCATION % TREE

COVER

CARBON

STORAGE

(tons/ ha)

CARBON

SEQUESTRATION

(tons/ ha/ yr)

Connecticut 21.80 20.2 0.7

South Dakota 19.20 17.8 0.6

McGill 19 20 0.7

Outline of Presentation

• Research Statement

• Air Filtration

• Noise Reduction

• Recreational Opportunities

• Recommendations

Noise Reduction• Literature Review

– Physical noise reduction by vegetation– Psychological noise perception

• Methodology– Sampling at McGill Campus

MethodologyBA

SITE 4

SITE 3

SITE 2

SITE 1

Results: Sound Level vs Site #

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

1 2 3 4

Site #

So

un

d L

eve

l (d

B)

Subsite B (trees)

Subsite A (no trees)

Linear (Subsite A (notrees))

Linear (Subsite B (trees))

Results & Conclusions:

• Trees do not physically reduce noise for McGill.

• Perceived effects of increased tree cover are significant.

• Number of trees along Sherbrooke should be increased.

Outline of Presentation

• Research Statement

• Air Filtration

• Noise Reduction

• Recreational Opportunities

• Recommendations

Assessing Recreational Opportunities

Survey Goals:

• Determine perception of noise & air quality on campus

• Determine recreational use of campus

• Determine receptiveness to land cover changes

McGill Campus Survey

Map

Survey Results:Perception of Noise and Air Quality on

McGill Campus

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

morequiet/

cleaner

neutral morenoisy/

polluted

noise

air

Survey results:Frequency of Green Space Use

05

101520253035404550

never everyday

# re

spon

den

ts

use when warm use when cold

Survey ResultsAreas with high response

relative to change

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

mostundesirable

neutral mostdesirable

bushes flowers trees

Survey Results

Areas of high useAreas with high response

relative to change

Outline of Presentation

• Research Statement

• Air Filtration

• Noise Reduction

• Recreational Opportunities

• Recommendations

The Concept of Tradeoffs

To enhance air filtration and noise reduction without infringing on major

recreational uses of campus

Turf Conversion

Benefits:

• Decreased maintenance costs– Reduced labour & monetary inputs

• Lessen ecological impacts – Fewer inputs needed (fertilizers / pesticides)

• Shift to more naturally functioning systems

Replacement of grass with alternative land cover

Turf ConversionBenefits:

• Potential to enhance ecosystem services

– Noise reduction • Decrease in perceived noise through

additional plantings

– Air filtration • Increased plant biomass for carbon storage

Turf Conversion Recommendations

Introduce plantings that:

• Are implemented in proper areas– Should not encroach recreational use of areas

• Do not restrict view– Preferred landscape– Security issues

• Do not appear “weedy” or poorly maintained – Defined border between plantings and lawn

Air Filtration & Noise Reduction Recommendations:

• Maintain and enhance existing tree cover

• Locate future plantings in strategic areas

• Plant tree species based on selective factors– Larger and longer-lived species– Greater pollutant uptake capacity per tree

Sophia KlumppSophia Klumpp

Andrea LattikAndrea Lattik

Ida MakIda Mak

Elizabeth MosemanElizabeth Moseman

Mark SmithMark Smith

AnaAnaïs de Valicourtïs de Valicourt

Prof. Garry PetersonProf. Garry Peterson

Assessing McGill’s Ecosystem Assessing McGill’s Ecosystem ServicesServices

Client: SCE – McGill Sub-Committee on Environment

Additional slides

CITYgreen Model

Carbon Storage Capacity:

= Study Area (acres) * % Tree Cover * Carbon Storage Multiplier

McGill Campus = 68 tons of carbon

Carbon Sequestration:

= Study Area (acres) * % Tree Cover * Carbon Sequestration Multiplier

McGill Campus = 0.7 tons of carbon/yr

CITYgreen Multipliers

TYPEDiameter

distributionStorage

MultiplierSequestration

Multiplier

TYPE 1 < 10 inches 0.3226 0.00727

TYPE 210-20 inches

0.4423 0.00077

TYPE 3 > 20 inches 0.5393 0.00153

AVERAGE 0.4303 0.00335

McGill’s Data

Diameter Class

Number of Trees

Frequency

(%)

1 (<10 in) 128 48.85

2 (10-20 in) 98 37.40

3 (> 20 in) 36 13.74

Total 262 100%

UK Model

Carbon Storage Capacity:

= Carbon Storage Multiplier * % Tree Cover

McGill Campus = 20 tons of carbon/ha

Carbon Sequestration:

= Carbon Sequestration Multiplier * % Tree Cover

McGill Campus = 0.16 tons of carbon/ha/yr

UK Multipliers

• Carbon Storage Multiplier: 1.063

• Carbon Sequestration Multiplier: 0.0018

Survey:Distribution of Student Respondents by Faculty

36%

3%

2%

6%10%2%

0%

41%arts

agr/env

education

engineering

management

music

religious studies

science

Total Campus Use by Area

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Areas of Campus

Nu

mb

er o

f R

esp

on

den

ts

Study Smoke Walk Dog

Rest and Relax Eat Chat, Meet w ith Friends

Attend Event or Party Play a Sport

Preference for

Change

0

10

20

30

40

50

0

10

20

30

40

50

0

10

20

30

40

50

Most Undesirable Most Desirable

bushes

trees

flowers

Selecting Species

• Certain species live longer & grow bigger

• Certain species store & sequester more pollutants– Red Oak stores more than Maple & White Oak– Black Birch storage decreases after 50 years– Yellow Birch storage increases after 50 years