Seo, Jihoon Oh, Hye-Ryun Park, Doo-Sun R. Kim, Jin Young Chang, Dong Yeong Park, Chan Ryul Sou, Hong-Duck Jeong, Sujong 2025-03-22T15:00:42Z 2025-03-22T15:00:42Z 2025-03-19 2025-02 2212-0955 https://pubs.kist.re.kr/handle/201004/152037 The effects of forests in mitigating urban air pollution have not been fully evaluated due to limited observational data. This study assesses the role of urban forests in reducing particulate matter (PM) using data from the recently installed ground PM observation network across South Korean forests, known as the Asian Initiative for Clean Air Networks (AICAN). Results show that urban forests are more effective at reducing coarse PM (with PM decrease efficiencies of 4.5 % to 24.4 % for PM2.5-10) than fine PM (1.5 % to 11.4 % for PM0.25-1.0), particularly in summer due to increased biomass growth. The diminished removal effects observed for fine PM may result from elevated physiological activities within forests, which can enhance the accumulation of fine PM. Buffering forests, planted as belts between pollution sources and residential areas, effectively mitigate PM pollution only when sufficiently wide (at least 200 m) and aligned with the prevailing wind direction. Tower measurements reveal PM deposition onto the forest canopy, while fine PM increases through turbulent diffusion under the canopy. This study underscores the importance of urban planning and reforestation strategies in reducing PM levels and highlights the significant role of urban forests in mitigating air pollution. English Elsevier BV The role of urban forests in mitigation of particulate air pollution: Evidence from ground observations in South Korea Article 10.1016/j.uclim.2024.102264 1 Urban Climate, v.59 Urban Climate 59 N scie scopus 001419621100001 2-s2.0-85213572262 Environmental Sciences Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences Environmental Sciences & Ecology Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences Article VOLATILE ORGANIC-COMPOUNDS DRY DEPOSITION GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE STREET CANYON AEROSOL HEALTH MATTER PM2.5 MODEL SUMMERTIME Particulate matter (PM) Urban forest Dry deposition PM decrease efficiency (PMDE) Local-scale forest Forest stands