TITLE:
Effects of Climate and the Urban Heat Island Effect on Urban Tree Growth in Houston
AUTHORS:
Astrid Moser, Enno Uhl, Thomas Rötzer, Peter Biber, Jens Dahlhausen, Barry Lefer, Hans Pretzsch
KEYWORDS:
Climate Change, Growth Trends, Heat Island Effect, Quercus nigra, Tree Ring Analyses
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Forestry,
Vol.7 No.4,
October
26,
2017
ABSTRACT: The growing conditions of urban trees differ substantially from forest sites and are mainly characterized by small planting pits with less water, nutrient and aeration availability, high temperatures and radiation inputs as well as pollution and soil compaction. Especially, global warming can amplify the negative effects of urban microclimates on tree growth, health and well-being of citizens. To quantify the growth of urban trees influenced by the urban climate, ten urban tree species in four climate zones were assessed in an overarching worldwide dendrochronological study. The focus of this analysis was the species water oak (Quercus nigra L.) in Houston, Texas, USA. Similar to the overall growth trend, we found in urban trees, water oaks displayed an accelerated growth during the last decades. Moreover, water oaks in the city center grew better than the water oaks growing in the rural surroundings of Houston, though this trend was reversed with high age. Growth habitat (urban, suburban, rural and forest) significantly affected tree growth (p