Changes in morphological and physiological traits of urban trees in response to elevated temperatures within an Urban Heat Island.

ABSTRACT: Urban heat islands (UHIs) are a common phenomenon in metropolitan areas worldwide where the air temperature is significantly higher in urban areas than in surrounding suburban, rural or natural areas. Mitigation strategies to counteract UHI effects include increasing tree cover and green spaces to reduce heat. The successful application of these approaches necessitates a deep understanding of the thermal tolerances in urban trees and their susceptibility to elevated urban temperatures. We evaluated how the photosynthetic thermal optimum (Topt), photosynthetic heat tolerance (T50) and key leaf thermoregulatory morphological traits (leaf area [LA], specific leaf area, leaf width, thickness and leaf dry matter content) differ between conspecific trees growing in 'hot' (UHI) vs 'cool' parts of

SUBMITTER: Martinez-Villa JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11647596 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature