Configurations for Four Urban Tree Species in the Santiago Metropolitan Region and Their Impact on the Environment According to CO<sub>2</sub>, PM2.5, Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds and Water Resource Criteria

The rapid and disproportionate growth of many cities in South America, such as Santiago de Chile, has not included a design that considers the impact caused. Furthermore, industrial and housing growth has been based mainly on unsustainable economic criteria, attributing less importance to environmen...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Marco Antonio Díaz, David Blanco, María Belén Almendro-Candel, Ignacio Herrera, Ignacio Allende, Pablo Pulgar Rubilar, Marcela Lizana, Francisco Pardo, Luis Perillán, Carolina Tapia
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-12-01
Series:Buildings
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/13/12/3052
Description
Summary:The rapid and disproportionate growth of many cities in South America, such as Santiago de Chile, has not included a design that considers the impact caused. Furthermore, industrial and housing growth has been based mainly on unsustainable economic criteria, attributing less importance to environmental criteria. This has caused problems related to global warming, pollution, water scarcity and health, especially harming populations with fewer resources. This study estimates and compares the impact of four tree species commonly used at the urbanization level, according to variables such as carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), water resources, and biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs). Then, we will use the variable PM2.5 to assess the trees’ impact on the population and their economic resources using these tree species as a method of capturing this pollutant. The results obtained will be used to determine which one of the four species is the most suitable in each type of space within the Metropolitan Region of Chile (small spaces, uncultivated areas, large spaces near industrial areas, areas with patients with breathing problems, etc.) according to three criteria: a comparison between species using the number of trees in the investigated territory; contrasting the species with the amount of social housing; and a comparison between the species according to the total number of dwellings.
ISSN:2075-5309