Assessment of Ecosystem Services in School Greenspaces within Depopulating Areas: Focusing on Carbon Reduction; [지역소멸지역 학교녹지의 생태계서비스 평가: 탄소저감 효과를 중심으로]

초록

School greenspaces, like urban parks, are accessible urban green areas that provide various ecosystem services, including environmental education, carbon reduction, temperature mitigation, fine dust reduction, and landscape enhancement. Despite these benefits, previous studies on school greenspaces have mainly focused on students’ psychological responses and user satisfaction, while quantitative assessments of their ecological functions remain limited. Recently, declining school-age populations have increased school closures, particularly in regions facing depopulation. However, due to insufficient information on the ecological value and functions of school greenspaces, these areas are often repurposed or sold, posing a risk of losing important green infrastructure. This study quantified the carbon reduction function of school greenspaces in Jeongseon, a region with high depopulation risk and a large number of school closures, and explored strategies to enhance their performance. The average annual carbon uptake and storage of the study sites were 0.58 ± 0.07 t/ha/yr and 9.98 ± 1.78 t/ha, respectively, which are lower than those of other domestic greenspace types. This is attributed to low planting density and the dominance of small evergreen trees with limited carbon uptake capacity. Nevertheless, school greenspaces offset 11.5% of Jeongseon’s 2030 building-sector reduction target. Enhancing carbon reduction requires incorporating high-absorption species and transitioning from single-layer to multi-layer planting structures. Considering future school closures, converting impermeable areas into greenspaces could further strengthen carbon sinks and improve community well-being. © The Korean Environmental Sciences Society. All rights reserved.

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