Complex Study of the Physiological and Microclimatic Attributes of Street Trees in Microenvironments with Small-Scale Heterogeneity

Kacsova, Csenge and Bátori, Zoltán and Viczián, András and Gulyás, Ágnes and Kiss, Márton (2025) Complex Study of the Physiological and Microclimatic Attributes of Street Trees in Microenvironments with Small-Scale Heterogeneity. LAND (BASEL), 14 (9). No. -14091775. ISSN 2073-445X

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Abstract

Rapid urban growth leads to an extension of artificial surfaces and inefficient energy management, an increase in urban heat islands, and local climate change. This has increased the need for green infrastructure and urban trees are playing an important role. It is important to ensure that tree groups can withstand climate warming and disturbances. This study investigated the physiological parameters of Tilia tomentosa ‘Seleste’ trees situated in a medium-sized Hungarian city, examining their relationship with microclimatic differences observed on opposing sides of a street. Instruments placed on 10 trees recorded air temperature and humidity, revealing a significant difference in total insolation, which resulted in AcademicEditor: AlessioRusso Received: 11July2025 Revised: 19August2025 Accepted: 26August2025 Published: 31 August2025 Citation: Lékó-Kacsova,C.;Bátori, Z.; Viczián, A.; Gulyás, Á.; Kiss, M. ComplexStudyofthePhysiological andMicroclimatic Attributes of Street Trees in Microenvironmentswith Small-Scale Heterogeneity. Land 2025, 14, 1775. https://doi.org/10.3390/ land14091775 Copyright: ©2025bytheauthors. Licensee MDPI,Basel,Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the termsand conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)license (https://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/). higher maximum daily temperatures on the sunny side. These microclimatic variations were found to significantly affect physiological attributes, particularly pigment content. Trees on the sunny side exhibited a higher relative water content and a higher ratio of chlorophyll a/b, indicative of light acclimatisation. Trees on the sunny side exhibited a higher relative water content and a higher ratio of chlorophyll a/b, indicating an acclimatisation to light. Furthermore, a positive correlation was observed between pigment content, total insolation, and growing degree days. The findings demonstrate how fine-scale microclimate differences influence tree physiology, providing crucial physiological indicators that inform the capacity of urban trees to provide vital ecosystem services, such as local climate regulation. This emphasises the importance of climate-conscious urban planning, as even small-scale climate change can have a broader impact.

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