Journal of Parks

The Ifrane National Park (INP), situated in the Middle Atlas Mountains in Morocco, is renowned for its unique bioecological attributes and rich biodiversity. The park provides key ecosystem services, notably climate regulation, with its Atlas cedar forests serving as an important carbon reservoir. Despite its importance, the park faces challenges associated with Land Use Land Cover Changes (LULCCs). These dynamics, driven by population settlement in mountain areas, intensify pressure on forest resources and accelerate the conversion of rangelands into croplands. Our study aims to examine the carbon sequestration service (CSS) in INP and its changes in response to land use dynamics before and after the park’s creation. We first use Google Earth Engine platform to map Land Use Land Cover (LULC) over three decades (1992/2022). Then, we quantify and map CSS using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST 3.10.2) model. Finally, we assess the economic value of this service over time using the social cost of carbon, adjusted by an appropriate discount rate. Our findings show that CSS declined by −217,738.4 tC/year (1992–2002) and −177,903.2 tC/year (2002–2012) prior to the park’s establishment, before rising to +61,786.8 tC/year during 2012–2022, following the park’s establishment and subsequent forest restoration, increasing its economic value from a net loss to +12,340,544 USD/year. By addressing a significant knowledge gap regarding CSS dynamics and economic value within a protected area, this study highlights the effectiveness of conservation measures and offers a practical tool for managers to inform decision makers, promote conservation and restoration investments, and engage local communities in sustainable development initiatives.

Urban public parks are vital for recreation, public health, environmental quality, and sustainable urban growth. Yet access to these parks remains uneven across many cities, disproportionately affecting low-income, marginalised, and spatially segregated communities. This study systematically examines socio-spatial disparities in park access and their implications for spatial justice. Using the PRISMA 2020 framework, 108 peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2025 were analysed through thematic narrative synthesis. The results identify key factors shaping accessibility disparities, including socio-economic status, residential location, race and ethnicity, transport infrastructure, urban form, governance, and demographic vulnerability. The most common determinants were socio-economic status (24%), residential location and spatial distribution (20%), race and ethnicity (18%), and urban form and transport systems (17%). Limited park access exacerbates socio-economic inequality, worsens environmental injustice, contributes to health gaps, reinforces spatial segregation, hampers urban sustainability, and marginalises vulnerable populations. The review integrates Spatial Justice Theory, Environmental Justice Theory, and Urban Political Ecology into a comprehensive analytical framework and introduces a conceptual model linking accessibility factors to spatial justice outcomes. These findings underscore the importance of equitable green infrastructure planning, inclusive governance, and improved access in underserved urban areas.

Urban Park vegetation plays a crucial role in mitigating air pollution by serving as a natural sink for gaseous and particulate pollutants, thereby enhancing the ecological sustainability of cities. Identifying tree species with high tolerance to air pollution is therefore essential for effective urban park planning and management in highly polluted urban environments. This study evaluated the air pollution tolerance of selected tree species commonly found in urban parks of Kandy City, Sri Lanka, using the Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI). Five tree species—Terminalia catappa (Indian almond), Cassia fistula (golden shower tree), Pongamia pinnata (Indian beech), Madhuca longifolia (butter tree), and Tabebuia rosea (pink poui)—were assessed at two urban park locations representing contrasting pollution levels, identified based on ambient SO₂, NO₂, and PM_2.5 concentrations. APTI was calculated using four leaf biochemical parameters: pH, ascorbic acid content, relative water content, and total chlorophyll content. Leaf samples were collected from ten replicates of each species at both sites. Madhuca longifolia exhibited the highest APTI values (17.06 at the HP site and 25.17 at the LP site), followed by Cassia fistula, Terminalia catappa, Tabebuia rosea, and Pongamia pinnata. These findings suggest that the identified species, particularly Madhuca longifolia and Cassia fistula, are well-suited for urban greening and can contribute to mitigating air pollution impacts. However, these findings are constrained by a single cross-sectional sampling term, limited species screening, sequential data collection variances, and fixed mathematical equations. Consequently, future research should implement continuous multi-station monitoring arrays, expand species diversity, establish localized biochemical weightings, and initiate long-term multi-seasonal tracking to resolve temporal dynamics in tropical urban ecosystems.