Urban Trees Under Climate Change: Growth, Environmental Benefits and Potentials

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Urban Forestry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 December 2025 | Viewed by 895

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Strategic Landscape Planning and Management, School of Life Sciences, TU München Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354 Freising, Germany
Interests: urban forestry; climate change; dendrochronology; allometric relationships
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Dear Colleagues,

Urbanization poses major challenges for both city inhabitants and the urban flora and fauna. Climate change, heat, densification, low greenery, and high pollution are just some of the negative aspects associated with the urban environment. Urban green such as urban trees, façade greening, green roofs, shrubs, and lawns are an important part of the cityscape and can help to improve the quality of life in cities, preserve biodiversity, and mitigate the effects of climate change. Urban trees are of particular interest for improving the climate resilience of urban areas, as they can mitigate the urban microclimate mainly through their cooling function. Further positive aspects of urban trees include the regulation of rainwater runoff, the storage of carbon dioxide, and the improvement of air quality, among many more. On the other hand, the growth and vitality of trees, both of which have a strong impact on the provision of ecosystem services, are highly influenced by the urban environment and the numerous stress factors it presents.

The aim of this Special Issue is to promote new publications in the field of urban forestry, the inter-relationship between urban tree growth, and the provision of ecosystem services under the influence of growing conditions with respect to climate change.

Dr. Astrid Reischl
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • biomass
  • ecosystem services
  • size–growth–ecosystem service relationships
  • tree management
  • tree size
  • urban greening
  • urban heat island

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

19 pages, 6314 KiB  
Article
Using a Phenocamera to Monitor Urban Forest Phenology
by Kaidi Zhang, Jinmiao Bai and Jun Gao
Forests 2025, 16(2), 239; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16020239 - 26 Jan 2025
Viewed by 669
Abstract
Under global climate change, fragmented urban vegetation is more susceptible to the external environment, and changes in vegetation phenology are one of the most apparent responses. In this study, phenological camera (phenocamera) photo data, Klosterman curve fitting, and a Gu model were employed [...] Read more.
Under global climate change, fragmented urban vegetation is more susceptible to the external environment, and changes in vegetation phenology are one of the most apparent responses. In this study, phenological camera (phenocamera) photo data, Klosterman curve fitting, and a Gu model were employed to explore the phenological characteristics of an urban forest at different levels within different species. Differences between species and groups regarding the upturn date (UD), the stabilization date (SD), the downturn date (DD), the recession date (RD), and the length of the growing season (LOS) are displayed in detail. We found that the UD of Cinnamomum camphora groups began in late April (day of year 108th), the SD appeared in early May (121st), and the DD started in early October (283rd) and ended in late October (293rd), with an average LOS of 185 days. The phenological characteristics of the Cinnamomum camphora and Bischofia polycarpa groups differed significantly. The average LOS of Bischofia polycarpa was 47 days longer than that of Cinnamomum camphora. Between Cinnamomum camphora individuals and group levels, differences in the UD and the SD were not obvious, while differences in the DD, the RD, and the LOS were large (LOS > RD > DD). The LOS of Cinnamomum camphora was longer on the individual scale (209 days), while the average LOS on the group scale was 185 days. In conclusion, our results reflect the more refined quantitative results of urban vegetation phenology and will help to elucidate urban vegetation phenological changes, which has important theoretical and practical significance for future urban forest management practices. Full article
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