The Response of Urban Trees to Climatic Stress Factors and Management - Developing Strategies for Resilient Urban Forests (TreeCare)

Urban trees face very special challenges. On the one hand, they have to cope with the site conditions in the city (e.g. little root/crown space), and on the other hand, periods of drought and heat are increasing as a result of climate change. It is therefore necessary to select tree species for urban areas that are suitable under these conditions and also to adapt the management of urban trees so that they are as resilient as possible to climate stress.

In our work package, we would therefore like to support city administrations and urban planners in making a suitable choice of tree species and optimizing the management of urban trees. In our work package, we will investigate a selection of native and non-native tree species that differ in their drought stress tolerance and grow in different environments (street, park, peri-urban forest). With the help of thedroecological methods (analysis of annual ring width, carbon and oxygen isotopes as well as wood anatomy) we investigate how the trees have reacted to past climatic extreme events and then relate these results to the intensity of crown pruning and the characteristics of the available root space. In this way, we want to help optimize crown pruning and the design of the root zone so that the vitality of the trees can be maintained in the best possible way and the trees are more resilient to extreme climatic events.

In addition, our aim is to promote a continuous exchange between practice and science. In this way, we want to help ensure that the results of our project can be used to further develop the management of urban trees, which in turn will benefit the urban population in the long term.