scholarly journals How Do Tilia Cordata Greenspire Trees Cope with Drought Stress Regarding Their Biomass Allocation and Ecosystem Services?

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 676 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhang ◽  
Stratopoulos ◽  
Pretzsch ◽  
Rötzer
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Drought Stress ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Fine Roots ◽  
Urban Trees ◽  
Plant Responses ◽  
Tilia Cordata ◽  
Coarse Roots ◽  
Coarse Root

In the context of climate change, drought is likely to become more frequent and more severe in urban areas. Urban trees are considered to play an important role in fixing carbon, improving air quality, reducing noise and providing other ecosystem services. However, data on the response of urban trees to climate change, particularly to drought, as well as the relationship between their below- and above-ground processes in this context, are still limited, which prevents a comprehensive understanding of the role of urban trees in ameliorating some of the adverse effects of climate change and their ability to cope with it. To investigate whole-plant responses to water shortages, we studied the growth of Tilia cordata Greenspire, a commonly planted urban tree, including development of its roots and stem diameter, leaf parameters and the harvested biomass. Our results showed that this cultivar was susceptible to drought and had reduced biomass in all three compartments: branch (30.7%), stem (16.7%) and coarse roots (45.2%). The decrease in the root:shoot ratio under drought suggested that more carbon was invested in the above-ground biomass. The development of fine roots and the loss of coarse root biomass showed that T. cordata Greenspire prioritised the growth of fine roots within the root system. The CityTree model’s simulation showed that the ability of this cultivar to provide ecosystem services, including cooling and CO2 fixation, was severely reduced. For use in harsh and dry urban environments, we recommend that urban managers take into account the capacity of trees to adapt to drought stress and provide sufficient rooting space, especially vertically, to help trees cope with drought.

scholarly journals Development of Fine Root Biomass of Two Contrasting Urban Tree Cultivars in Response to Drought Stress

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chi Zhang ◽  
Laura Myrtiá Faní Stratópoulos ◽  
Chao Xu ◽  
Hans Pretzsch ◽  
Thomas Rötzer
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Drought Stress ◽  
Fine Roots ◽  
Urban Trees ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
Tilia Cordata ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Urban Tree ◽  
Belowground Processes ◽  
Tilia Tomentosa

Global climate change associated with rapid urbanization is projected to cause a worsening of environmental problems such as extreme heat and drought in cities. Urban trees play an essential role in improving air quality, fixing carbon, mitigating environmental degradation, and providing other ecosystem services. However, limited research has been conducted on belowground processes, which hampers a comprehensive understanding of the effect of climate change and urbanization on urban tree growth. Fine roots (<2-mm diameter) are the primary pathway for water and nutrient uptake by plants, and they considerably contribute to the survival of urban trees under drought stress. In this study, we conducted a controlled experiment on the development of fine roots of Tilia cordata Mill ‘Greenspire’ and Tilia tomentosa Moench ‘Brabant’ in response to drought stress via soil coring. Our results indicate that the two cultivars have different strategies for coping with drought. Tilia tomentosa ‘Brabant’, originating from drier regions, gave allocation to deeper soil parts priority probably to obtain more water. On the other hand, Tilia cordata ‘Greenspire’, which is native in Central Europe, showed a negative response to water shortage and preferred a more horizontal development of fine roots rather than a vertical development. Long-term studies are needed to gain a better understanding of the belowground processes of urban trees to select tree species and cultivars which are appropriate for planting in major cities, particularly with regard to future climate change.

scholarly journals The Wood Quality of Small-Leaved Lime (Tilia cordata Mill.) Trees in an Urban Area: A Pilot Study

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 420
Author(s):  
Benas Šilinskas ◽  
Aistė Povilaitienė ◽  
Gintautas Urbaitis ◽  
Marius Aleinikovas ◽  
Iveta Varnagirytė-Kabašinskienė
Keyword(s):  
Urban Area ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Wood Quality ◽  
Wood Products ◽  
Urban Trees ◽  
Measuring System ◽  
Forest Site ◽  
Tilia Cordata ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Wood Development

This study performed a pilot evaluation of the wood quality—defined by a single parameter: dynamic modulus of elasticity (MOEdyn, N mm−2)—of small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata Mill.) trees in urban areas. A search of the literature revealed few studies which examined the specifics of tree wood development in urban areas. Little is known about the potential of wood from urban trees wood of their suitability for the timber industry. In this study, an acoustic velocity measuring system was used for wood quality assessment of small-leaved lime trees. The MOEdyn parameter was evaluated for small-leaved lime trees growing in two urban locations (along the streets, and in an urban park), with an additional sample of forest sites taken as the control. MOEdyn was also assessed for small-leaved lime trees visually assigned to different health classes. The obtained mean values of MOEdyn of 90–120-year old small-leaved lime trees in urban areas ranged between 2492.2 and 2715.8 N mm−2. For younger trees, the values of MOEdyn were lower in the urban areas than in the forest site. Otherwise, the results of the study showed that the small-leaved lime wood samples were of relatively good quality, even if the tree was classified as moderately damaged (which could cause a potential risk to the community). Two alternatives for urban tree management can be envisaged: (1) old trees could be left to grow to maintain the sustainability of an urban area until their natural death, or (2) the wood from selected moderately damaged trees could be used to create wood products, ensuring long-term carbon retention.

Total belowground carbon and nitrogen partitioning of mature black spruce displaying genetic × soil moisture interaction in growth

2012 ◽  
Vol 42 (11) ◽  
pp. 1939-1952 ◽  
Author(s):  
John E. Major ◽  
Kurt H. Johnsen ◽  
Debby C. Barsi ◽  
Moira Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Fine Roots ◽  
Root Biomass ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Nitrogen Partitioning ◽  
Coarse Roots ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Coarse Root ◽  
C And N

Total belowground biomass, soil C, and N mass were measured in plots of 32-year-old black spruce ( Picea mariana (Mill.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb.) from four full-sib families studied previously for drought tolerance and differential productivity on a dry and a wet site. Stump root biomass was greater on the wet than on the dry site; however, combined fine and coarse root biomass was greater on the dry than on the wet site, resulting in no site root biomass differences. There were no site differences in root distribution by soil depth. Drought-tolerant families had greater stump root biomass and allocated relatively less to combined coarse and fine roots than drought-intolerant families. Fine roots (<2 mm) made up 10.9% and 50.2% of the belowground C and N biomass. Through 50 cm soil depth, mean total belowground C mass was 187.2 Mg·ha–1, of which 8.9%, 3.4%, 0.7%, and 87.0% were from the stump root, combined fine and coarse roots, necromass, and soil, respectively. Here, we show that belowground C sequestration generally mirrors (mostly from stump roots) aboveground growth, and thus, trends in genetic and genetic × environment productivity effects result in similar effects on belowground C sequestration. Thus, tree improvement may well be an important avenue to help stem increases in atmospheric CO2.

LIFE URBANGREEN: Innovative technological platform to improve management of green areas for better climate adaptation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Viskanic ◽  
Alice Pasquinelli ◽  
Alessio Fini ◽  
Piotr Wezyk
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Climate Adaptation ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Areas ◽  
Green Areas

&lt;p&gt;Climate change is a serious and cross-cutting issue: urban areas are particularly sensitive to climate impacts, especially to heatwaves, floods and droughts. Typically, urban phenomena (such as the &amp;#8216;urban heat island effect&amp;#8217; &amp;#8211; where the urban area is significantly warmer than the surrounding rural areas) and the impacts of extreme weather events demonstrate the high vulnerability of cities.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Specific urban adaptation strategies are therefore needed to make cities more resilient. In this context, green areas and green infrastructures are seen among the most widely applicable, economically viable and effective tools to combat the impacts of climate change and help people adapt to or mitigate adverse effects of this change.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;LIFE URBANGREEN is a European Funded project dealing with climate adaptation through the maximisation of ecosystem services provided by urban green areas maintained in an innovative way. The main expected result is a smart, integrated, geospatial management system, to monitor and govern all activities related to urban green areas, maximizing ecological benefits.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Five innovative modules are being developed within the project, aimed at:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;providing irrigation to trees only when and where actually needed&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;reducing the carbon footprint of maintenance activities through a more efficient job planning&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;quantifying ecosystem services provided by green areas&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;monitoring health conditions of trees using remote sensing data&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;increasing citizen participation in urban green management&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;The project involves 5 Italian and Polish partners:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;R3 GIS (GIS software company and project coordinator, Bolzano, Italy)&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;University of Milano (scientific coordinator, Milano, Italy)&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;ProGea 4D (remote sensing company, Krakow, Poland)&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;ZZM (manager of urban green areas in Krakow, Poland)&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Anthea (manager of urban green areas in Rimini, Italy)&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;Also, the National Central University (NCU) in Taiwan, under the coordination of Prof Yuei-An Liou, supports the project and participates as external partner and will test some innovations of the LIFE URBANGREEN Project in Taiwan.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;During the EGU conference, results obtained during the first two years of the project will be presented. More information on the project is available at www.lifeurbangreen.eu&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Storage and Flux of Nutrients in Disturbed and Undisturbed Tropical Moist Forest of Eastern Nepal

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tilak Prasad Gautam ◽  
Tej Narayan Mandal
Keyword(s):  
Nutrient Cycling ◽  
Fine Roots ◽  
Nutrient Dynamics ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Coarse Roots ◽  
Nutrient Return ◽  
Coarse Root ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Nutrient Stocks

The disturbance activities in tropical forests shrink the nutrient cycling between the vegetation and soil. To understand the nutrient cycling in undisturbed and disturbed stands of mixed deciduous tropical forest of eastern Nepal, plant biomass was estimated within seventy randomly established sampling plots. The biomass values were multiplied with nutrient concentration of respective parts to estimate the nutrient stocks. The nutrient concentrations varied widely amongst components. In trees, concentrations of all nutrients were highest in leaves followed in decreasing order by fine roots (<5 mm) and twigs and then by branches, bole, and coarse roots. The contribution of different components to total nutrient stocks was in the following order: tree > stand fine root > shrub > herb, in both stands. The relative contribution of different components of trees to total nutrient stocks was in the following order: bole > coarse root > branch > leaf > twig > fine roots. In trees, leaves and fine roots had greater gross uptake of nutrients than other components. The concentrations of different nutrients in the plants are in the following order: nitrogen > potassium > phosphorus. Total nutrient return to the soil through the litterfall is almost 1.5 times greater than that from fine roots in both forests. In conclusion, various types of forest disturbances had adverse effect on the nutrient stocks and nutrient dynamics.

scholarly journals Red-leafed species for urban “greening” in the age of global climate change

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 151-159
Author(s):  
Ermes Lo Piccolo ◽  
Marco Landi
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Climate Change ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Urban Trees ◽  
Urban Greening ◽  
Aesthetic Value ◽  
Change Factors ◽  
The Aesthetic

AbstractUrban trees provide vital ecosystem services such as mitigating heat island, improving air quality by removing various air pollutants, capturing rainwater, and acting as topsoil carbon storage. The aesthetic value of urban trees is also another feature that has to be considered in the context of urban greening. Classical criteria for the selection of urban trees have to respond to new challenges imposed to the cities in a near future. Global climate change factors increase the harshness of our cities, and thereby the plant resilience to abiotic stresses has also to be seriously considered for planning the urban greening. Red-leafed species, characterized by the permanent presence of foliar anthocyanins, show a greater tolerance to different environmental cues than green-leafed species commonly used in our cities. In addition, red tree species own a great aesthetic value which has been underestimated in the context of urban areas, especially in the harsh Mediterranean cities. In this study, we emphasize the “privilege of being red” from different point of view, in order to drive the attention to the possibility to increase the use of red-leafed species for urban “greening”. Some possible negative aspects related to their use are rebutted and the direction of future researches are proposed.

scholarly journals Young urban trees as important structures in the cultural heritage of cities – a case study from Prague

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 14-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ales Rudl ◽  
Ivo Machar ◽  
Lubos Uradnicek ◽  
Ludek Praus ◽  
Vilem Pechanec
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Trees ◽  
Young Tree ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Field Mapping ◽  
Large Trees ◽  
Urban Green Infrastructure

Abstract Urban trees generate numerous ecosystem services, and these are often closely associated with the species, age and size of trees as well as with their vitality. Generally, the focus of urban and regional planning is aimed at very large trees, because very large trees are considered to be key green structures in an urban green infrastructure. However, there is a significant knowledge gap related to the importance of young trees in cities, despite their value in urban green spaces, greenways, parks, gardens, urban forests, and as components of green roofs and green walls. This study is the result of field mapping young trees in the urban area of the famous European historical city of Prague. Field mapping revealed a total of 40 individual young trees, or young tree groups, with cultural value in the study area of Prague. The results of this empirical study indicate that young trees (not just very large and old trees) can be very important structures for the provision of cultural ecosystem services in cities, and that they can be viewed as living cultural symbols. This is a new aspect in the awareness of the environmental and social roles of urban trees. This case study from Prague suggests that (i) young trees in urban areas need more attention from researchers and (ii) should be incorporated into urban planning as an important component of urban green infrastructure.

scholarly journals Local Drivers of Anthropogenic Climate Change: Quantifying the Impact through a Remote Sensing Approach in Brisbane

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (14) ◽  
pp. 2270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Golam Mortoja ◽  
Tan Yigitcanlar
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
Significant Loss ◽  
Anthropogenic Climate Change ◽  
Metropolitan Regions ◽  
Management Policies ◽  
The Impact

Urban expansions to adjoining greenfield sites, particularly in metropolitan regions, have become a global occurrence. Such urbanization practice results in a significant loss in ecosystem services and triggers climate change—where these changes in land cover and emissions of certain pollutants are the fundamental drivers of climate change. Despite its crucial importance, little is known on how to quantify the impact of local drivers on anthropogenic climate change. This study aims to address the question of how the impacts of local drivers on anthropogenic climate change can be measured. The study utilizes a remote sensing approach to investigate the impacts of a period of over 30 years (1989–2019) in Brisbane, Australia and its adjoining local government areas. The methodological steps of the study are two-fold. First, we measure the greenfield development and corresponding ecosystem services losses and, then, we quantify the risk of such losses attributable to direct and indirect anthropogenic climate change. The findings of the study reveal the followings: (a) the utilized remote sensing method is a useful technique in quantifying the impacts of climate change; (b) over the last 30-year period, Brisbane and its adjoining areas encountered a total loss of about USD 4.5 billion in ecosystem services, due to direct and indirect anthropogenic climate change; (c) peri-urban areas encountered the biggest losses in ecosystem service values; (d) peri-urban areas experienced the highest greenhouse gas emission production levels, and; (e) ecosystem services should be backed up by robust urban management policies—this is critical for mitigating climate change.

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