Trait-based functional indices reveal contrasting carbon-storage and biodiversity-support potential across urban tree species and parks in Bogotá

Kristian Rubiano 

Urban expansion increasingly challenges the capacity of cities to maintain ecological functions, while urban trees are expected to contribute to climate regulation and biodiversity conservation. However, urban forest management often lacks functionally explicit information linking species characteristics to their ecological potential and spatial variation across urban green spaces. Here, we assessed the functional potential of Bogotá's urban tree cover for aboveground carbon storage and biodiversity support using a trait-based functional-value framework. From a citywide inventory of 1,449,309 trees representing 476 species, we prioritized 59 species accounting for about 80% of all individuals and compiled functional traits, ecological attributes, conservation status, and documented resources for urban fauna. Species functional values were estimated for carbon storage, food provision, habitat and connectivity, and existence value, with the latter three integrated into a biodiversity functional value. Species-level values were scaled to individual-tree dimensions and aggregated across 31 urban parks, and spatial patterns in park-level values were evaluated using global Moran's I and local indicators of spatial association. The dominant species differed markedly across functional dimensions, indicating complementary rather than uniform functional profiles. Park-level functional values also varied substantially across the city. All five park-level dimensions showed significant positive spatial autocorrelation (Moran's I = 0.30–0.43; all p < 0.001), with recurrent high-value clusters in northeastern Bogotá. These results show that integrating species traits, ecological attributes, tree dimensions, and spatial information can reveal functional heterogeneity across scales ranging from species to urban green spaces and support more functionally explicit urban forest planning.