Land-use history causes differences in park nighttime cooling capacity and forest structure

Area of Science:

• Urban Ecology
• Environmental Justice
• Forest Ecology

Background:

• Urban parks provide essential ecosystem services, but their development on diverse historical land-use types complicates equitable benefit distribution.
• Understanding the legacy of past land use is crucial for assessing current urban ecosystem function and future planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of historical land use (agricultural, forested, industrial) on Montreal park forest structure, diversity, and cooling capacity.
• To examine sociodemographic differences in communities surrounding parks based on historical land use and their implications for equitable access to cooling benefits.

Main Methods:

• Assessed forest structure, diversity, and cooling effects across 33 Montreal park sites with distinct historical land uses.
• Analyzed neighborhood sociodemographic data in relation to park historical land use and cooling capacity.

Main Results:

• Park forest structure and cooling capacity varied significantly with historical land use, showing complex relationships.
• Previously industrial parks exhibited reduced nighttime cooling and were often adjacent to marginalized communities (immigrants, low income).
• Daytime cooling was consistent across historical land uses, underscoring the importance of current management.

Conclusions:

• Historical land use contributes to environmental injustice, affecting cooling capacity and equitable access to ecosystem services.
• Mixed management strategies incorporating diverse tree sizes and densities are needed for optimal daytime and nighttime cooling.
• Urban green infrastructure is shaped by socioecological dynamics, necessitating community-led initiatives and social housing policies to address gentrification and ensure equitable benefits.