The majority of greenhouse gases and other atmospheric pollutants originate in cities, but the linkages among urban vegetation, human activities, and the urban airshed are poorly understood. Carbon dioxide and water vapor are greenhouse gases that affect local, regional, and global climate, while volatile organic compounds are pre-cursors to the atmospheric pollutants that form urban smog. All of these gases are emitted by human activities and by vegetation in the urban environment. Interdisciplinary collaborations of atmospheric scientists, social sciences, urban planners, and ecologists are necessary to measure the concentrations and emissions of these gases, to trace their origins, and to evaluate the implications for effective management of the urban airshed. This research project will be undertaken by a multi-disciplinary research team in order to study the complex factors affecting emissions of carbon dioxide, water vapor, and volatile organic compounds in the valley containing Salt Lake City, Utah. An atmospheric measurement and monitoring program will be implemented throughout the Salt Lake Valley in different land-use areas, such as industrial areas, residential neighborhoods, and the intensively developed city center. Analyses will distinguish the compounds associated with trace gas concentration and emission, such as vehicular emissions, industrial emissions, contributions from residential heating, and emissions from urban vegetation. After identifying the factors controlling the different components in various land uses, the investigators will develop a system-dynamics model that will facilitate examinations of the urban system as a whole. The model also will assist in quantitatively evaluating options for public policy and management.
Although urban environments are ecosystems, comprehensive studies of linkages between organisms and their physical environments. This project will contribute to understanding of the high degree of complexity in urban ecosystems, and it will provide a framework for evaluating the multiple interactive factors that influence airsheds in a variety of cities. Planners and decision makers from Salt Lake City and the state of Utah will participate in this project, providing input into model development and exploring policy implications of the research results. By applying scientific measurement techniques to quantitative modeling and collaborating with local decision makers, this project will evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of different approaches to reducing greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining high air-quality standards. This project is supported by an award resulting from the FY 2002 special competition in Biocomplexity in the Environment focusing on the Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems.
