CAREER: Intra-Urban Variability in Carbon Deposition: Rates, Pathways, and Determinants

We are currently investigating to what extent city trees function as ‘urban air filters’, capturing black carbon particles from the atmosphere and then depositing them to soil where they can be stored over the long term.  Commonly referred to as soot, black carbon is a component of fine particulate matter that is released directly into the atmosphere as a result of fossil fuel, biofuel, and biomass combustion.  These small particles absorb solar radiation, warming cities, regions, and the globe and, when inhaled, have adverse effects on human health.  Because urban areas are one of the most important sources of black carbon particles, and ~80% of the US and >50% of the global population now lives in cities, understanding the factors that contribute to black carbon removal in urban areas could help mitigate climate change, while improving air quality for urban residents.  

With the help of local Denton residents, businesses, universities, city departments, and organizations, we are in the process of measuring how much black carbon is filtered from the air by urban trees.  With these data, we plan to determine how the buildings, infrastructure, and green spaces that surround city trees affect their capacity to filter the air so that we can make concrete recommendations on where to plant trees within cities.   

Our project aims to increase the number, diversity, and competitiveness of UNT students entering careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).  We are doing this by: providing multiple research experiences for undergraduate and graduate students; and creating engaging experiential laboratories for a large introductory earth science course for non-STEM majors.

Collaborators: Yekang Ko and Jun Lee (University of Oregon), Dongmei Chen, Evan Elderbrock, Kathleen Weathers (Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies)

Funded by NSF Geography and Spatial Sciences and Ecosystems.