Comparison of Ecosystem Services and Replacement Value calculations performed for urban trees

Trees provide ecosystem services such as improvements to air and water quality, landscaping, and thermal comfort, energy conservation or carbon sequestration. To find a financial value to urban trees, an assessment of 1,099 trees in Warsaw, Poland, was performed based on the Ecosystem Services (ES) in I-Tree Eco and the Replacement Value (RV) Calculations. An indicator, the Degree of Duplication (DDC), was proposed to compare two different tree evaluation methods. We measured trees growing nearby streets, at multi-family residential areas and park trees. In the park zone, according to the trunk formula method, we identified the Ecosystem Services provided by trees as the most effective: $25/one tree and the highest tree Replacement Value ($6,089/one tree). The results confirm that good tree vitality is essential for achieving maximum levels of Ecosystem Services. We propose to combine both approaches (RV and ES) to improve green infrastructure management effectively.