title: The role of a peri-urban forest on air quality improvement in the Mexico City megalopolis.
abstract: Air quality improvement by a forested, peri-urban national park was quantified by combining the Urban Forest Effects (UFORE) and the Weather Research and Forecasting coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) models. We estimated the ecosystem-level annual pollution removal function of the park's trees, shrub and grasses using pollution concentration data for carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O(3)), and particulate matter less than 10 microns in diameter (PM(10)), modeled meteorological and pollution variables, and measured forest structure data. Ecosystem-level O(3) and CO removal and formation were also analyzed for a representative month. Total annual air quality improvement of the park's vegetation was approximately 0.02% for CO, 1% for O(3,) and 2% for PM(10), of the annual concentrations for these three pollutants. Results can be used to understand the air quality regulation ecosystem services of peri-urban forests and regional dynamics of air pollution emissions from major urban areas.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, Ciudad Universitaria, Circuito Exterior Mexico, DF 04510, Mexico. darrel.baumgardner@gmail.com
authors.forename: Darrel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Baumgardner
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Varela
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Escobedo
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chacalo
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ochoa
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001272:Atmosphere / Q000737:chemistry; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000032:analysis; D002947:Cities; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008800:Mexico; D008956:Models, Chemical; D010126:Ozone / Q000032:analysis; D010316:Particle Size; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis; D014197:Trees / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D010126:Ozone; D002248:Carbon Monoxide