Nut Trees in Urban Landscapes

Explore how nut trees can transform urban landscapes by boosting biodiversity, storing carbon and strengthening climate resilience.

Client

Hållbar Utveckling Skåne, together with the City of Malmö, the City of Helsingborg, Höör Municipality and Holma Folkhögskola is running the project Nut Cultivation for a Safe and Green Skåne (NUTS). The project explores how cultivating nut trees – such as hazel, walnut and chestnut – can contribute to local food security, climate adaptation and a more resilient region. A central part of the project is to investigate how nut trees planted in private gardens (Helsingborg is used as an example scenario) can contribute to carbon sequestration, ecosystem services and local food production.

In this assignment, you have the opportunity to contribute to the project by analysing different aspects of the role of nut trees in urban landscapes. Below are examples of three possible directions. They are meant as inspiration rather than fixed expectations for what your project must include. In your dialogue with Hållbar Utveckling Skåne, you are welcome to propose your own ideas and angles as well.

Task

Track 1: Canopy Cover & Spatial Impact (GIS focus)

Main question: How does urban canopy cover change if more nut trees are planted?

Focus areas:

• analysing existing canopy cover
• GIS‑based scenarios (e.g., “20% of households plant walnut trees”)
• spatial effects on:
  • shading
  • urban heat islands
  • local microclimates
• comparison of tree species based on crown shape, height and spread

Deliverable: GIS maps and a spatial analysis showing how canopy cover changes under different scenarios.

Track 2: Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services & Carbon Sequestration

Main question: How do nut trees affect urban biodiversity, and what ecosystem services – including carbon sequestration – are created in different planting scenarios?

Focus areas:

• habitat values for pollinators, small birds and soil fauna
• differences between species (walnut, hazel, chestnut, hybrids)
• risks and pests (e.g., weevils)
• ecological effects of small‑scale cultivation in private gardens vs. parks
• carbon sequestration in different species and planting scenarios, including:
  • overview calculations of carbon sequestration based on biomass and growth rate
  • comparison of species based on carbon storage potential
  • scenarios (e.g., “how much carbon is stored if 10% / 20% / 40% of households plant nut trees?”)
  • trade‑offs between carbon sequestration, biodiversity and water needs

Deliverable: An ecological analysis showing how different planting scenarios affect biodiversity, ecosystem services and carbon sequestration.

Track 3: Climate Adaptation & Water Management (hydrology focus)

Main question: How can nut trees help manage drought, water scarcity and flooding?

Focus areas:

• drought tolerance and water needs of different nut tree species
• connection to VA Syd’s summer water shortages
• the role of root systems in:
  • infiltration
  • soil moisture
  • rainwater management
  • flood reduction
• how trees influence local water flows and soil hydrology
• comparison of species based on climate tolerance and hydrological effects

Deliverable: A hydrological and climate adaptation analysis showing how nut trees can contribute to water management and drought resilience.

Related Sustainability Goals