Ecosystem services of urban green spaces and their contribution to air quality: a case study.

Abstract

Green spaces constitute extensions of territories protected by national and international laws to conserve natural resources and guarantee the socioeconomic and environmental well-being of a territory, since they are part of the structure of compliance with the green index recommended by the World Health Organization. The objective was to determine the

ecosystem services of urban green spaces and their contribution to air quality through the direct use total economic value (TEV) method. A case study was applied in the Historical Park of the Guayaquil canton. 98 tourist attractions ranked in the exceptional and highly significant category were quantified. The green spaces are made up of forests, mangroves and ornamental species by natural regeneration, species of larger and smaller animals, as well as poultry and wild birds in danger of extinction. According to the contingent valuation method, users are willing to pay $32 monthly to preserve green spaces with just 4% of the target population, this canton has an ecological surplus per capita of 17.3 m2, they improve air quality since their contribution is 78 tm ha-1 of carbon, this site contributes to the regulation of gases, climate, erosion, nutrient recycling, shelter, food production, recreation and habitat for the biotic resources of the place. Finally, urban green spaces are necessary to have a good quality of life, survival in human beings, make cities sustainable and resilient due to the adverse effects of the current era.