Comparisons of Above- and Below-ground Carbon Storage in a Northeastern Illinois Urban Forest Following Rhamnus cathartica and Fraxinus spp. Removal

Authors

River Sanchez-Dudik, DePaul UniversityFollow
Elene Drosos, DePaul UniversityFollow

Faculty Advisor

Christie Klimas

Abstract

This study focused on quantifying potential differences in ecosystem services (carbon storage, soil organic matter, macroarthropod density) in a small, partially restored urban forest in order to determine if common buckthorn and standing dead ash removal effects can be detected while restoration is on-going. We calculated aboveground carbon storage (tons/total area) using whole tree biomass equations and compared this to i-Tree Canopy estimations. We collected SOM through loss-on-ignition and collected macroinvertebrates by pitfall trapping to determine differences along transects. Aboveground carbon storage, soil organic matter, and macroinvertebrate total results for this study were found to be statistically not significant, indicating that a short-term study is not an adequate measurement of these environmental indicators. Rather, these results reflect the varied findings of other short-term researchers and illustrate the importance of continued monitoring of ecosystem services following restoration, as results may be more accurate over a longer period of time.

Recommended Citation

Sanchez-Dudik, River and Drosos, Elene (2023) "Comparisons of Above- and Below-ground Carbon Storage in a Northeastern Illinois Urban Forest Following Rhamnus cathartica and Fraxinus spp. Removal," DePaul Discoveries: Volume 12, Article 7.
Available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/depaul-disc/vol12/iss1/7