Study of planting density and canopy cover in open spaces in Budapest Case Studies Part 1 - Móricz Zsigmond Square
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36249/4d.74.6247Keywords:
urban forestry, alles, tree canopy cover, planting densityAbstract
Trees in public spaces are a key part of the urban green space system and are facing increasing challenges from urbanisation, climate change and human interventions. Green spaces significantly improve the microclimate, support biodiversity conservation and have significant aesthetic value, making their protection and enhancement a priority. Our research assesses the canopy cover of open spaces in Budapest in terms of planting density, with a particular focus on the planting distance of woody plants in squares and streets and the resulting canopy cover values. Our studies have considered the quantitative and qualitative variations in the proportion of canopy at the time of planting, at the present time and at full maturity, in order to formulate ideal planting recommendations taking into account the needs and characteristics (crown shape, growth vigour) of each tree species. In our second case study, we examined the tree population of St Gellért Square. The evaluation found that the linear tree groups, regardless of taxon, are growing under near ideal conditions in terms of habit, canopy shape and planting density and are expected to continue to grow well in the future. In contrast, the trees in green boxes are mainly the outgroup individuals that are of long-term value for ecosystem services. The current proportion of open canopy cover is 97%, which is the highest in the open spaces surveyed. The current open canopy cover rate is 97%, which is one of the best among the open spaces studied, but at maturity this rate drops to 52% in the green cassette and 71% in the linear planted tree groups, so it can be concluded that the taxa in the green cassettes will significantly hinder each other's development due to poor planting density and will not be able to fully develop their beneficial effects in the future.
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