Urban Forest Ecosystem and Its Services to Human Wellbeing in Klang Valley, Malaysia

Abstract

The population in urban areas has increased substantially in the last few decades and is expected to reach 60% of the world population by 2050. Urban forests provide a full spectrum of ecosystem services, serving as a nature-based solution to many environmental problems in cities. Identifying the ecosystem services and understanding the preferences of local communities could inform better decision-making in terms of land use planning and zoning, especially in highly urbanised areas. This chapter explores local residentsü perfection and preferences for ecosystem services provided by four remnant urban forests located in the Klang Valley region, Malaysia, which exhibit different natural attributes and management approaches. This case study illustrates the potential roles of environmental issues, as well as residentsü knowledge and motive to visit the urban forests in shaping their perception of ecosystem services provided by the urban forests. The findings also reveal that a lack of direct engagement with the forests and ecosystem services is unlikely to be regarded as a contributor to residentsü quality of life.