Inequalities in urban forest ecosystem service provision in Bogotá, Colombia: Conference: Conference: Cuarto Congreso Internacional de Servicios Ecosistémicos en los Neotrópicos: de la investigación a la acción

Lack of information on the distribution of urban forest ecosystem service provision is especially pressing in the case of megacities in developing countries, characterized by irregular land-use patterns and social inequities. We explored the equity in key structural characteristics and ESS from public urban forests in Bogotá Colombia, and if indeed their provision is equitable across space. We used one of the most comprehensive public urban tree inventories in Latin America, ESS provision indicators and geospatial data to statistically analyze the urban forest structure and service provision across Bogota's land-uses and social strata. We found that the poorest socioeconomic stratum had the smallest sized trees while the wealthiest stratum had the largest trees, across multiple tree attributes. Tree diversity was greatest in northern and affluent areas. Potential particulate matter removal was notably proportional to socioeconomic strata. Residential land-use property value premiums were slightly related to tree diameter and height, and locality and socioeconomic strata were the most significant predictors of property value in residential land-uses. We identified marked inequalities in ESS provision by urban trees in Bogotá, highlighting a pressing need for urban forest ESS to take into account in city planning to provide better equity in citizens' welfare conditions.