Carbon Balance of Small-Scale Urban Green Space from the Perspective of Landscape Life Cycle

Ranking forefront among all types of urban green spaces in both distribution scope and quantity, small-scale green space plays an important role in achieving carbon neutrality in the context of the global response to carbon emission. In view of the lack of systematic guidance and procedures for the current low-carbon design of urban small-scale green space, this research, with landscape carbon emissions and carbon sinks as the entry point, conducts a whole-process analysis of landscape involving landscape material production, landscape construction, landscape daily use, and landscape maintenance and management. Additionally, the research conducts a quantitative calculation and comparison of the carbon emission and carbon sink process of small-scale green space at each stage within landscape life cycle. On this basis, the research proposes that landscape construction should focus on the selection of design modes for ground-cover plants with high carbon sequestration capacity and the use of low-carbon materials, and accordingly screens 6 localized configuration modes for ground-cover plant communities with high carbon sequestration capacity, to help increase carbon sinks, reduce carbon emissions from landscape maintenance and management. Finally, the research puts forward the methods for carbon balance improvement and construction of urban small-scale green space, and summarizes the key strategies for increasing carbon sinks and reducing carbon emissions of urban small-scale green space, in hope of providing scientific basis and practical guidance for the construction of a green carbon sink network.