Genotypic variation in water relations and gas exchange of urban trees in Detroit,Michigan, USA

Increasing tree species diversity has become a key underpinning for communities to improve resilience of urban and community forests. Increasingly, urban forestry researchers are examining physiological traits to aid in selecting trees for urban sites. Knowledge of physiological responses also has implications for understanding species’ resilience to increased stresses associated with climate change. Here, we compare growth, leaf SPAD chlorophyll index, water relations, and gas exchange of seven genotypes of shade trees planted in two locations in downtown Detroit, MI, USA. Genotypes included Redpointe® maple (Acer rubrum ‘Frank Jr.’), Flashfire® maple (Acer saccharum ‘JFS-Caddo2′), Pacific Sunset® maple (Acer truncatum x platanoides ‘Warrenred’), Emerald City® tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera ‘JFS-Oz’), Chanticleer® pear (Pyrus calleryana ‘Glen’s Form’), swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor), and Emerald Sunshine® elm (Ulmus propinqua ‘JFS-Bieberich’). Trees were planted in either Lafayette Plaisance Park (Park), a large urban greenspace, or on the median of St. Aubin Avenue (Median), a nearby major thoroughfare. Tree height growth and leaf SPAD index were higher for trees planted in the Park location than on the Median. However, genotypic variation was larger than the effects of location or the interaction of Genotype × Location for most traits. Across measurement dates, midday leaf water potential was lowest for Pyrus trees and highest for Ulmus and Liriodendron trees. Pyrus and Quercus trees had relatively high rates of net photosynthesis (A) and stomatal conductance (g_s) while Liriodendron, Acer saccharum, and Ulmus trees had low rates of A and g_s. Liriodendron trees closed their stomata rapidly as leaf water potential (Ψ_w) declined (isohydric response), while Pyrus and Quercus trees maintained g_s across a range of leaf Ψ_w (anisohydric response). Liriodendron trees also had the highest relative growth rates, suggesting that drought stress avoidance through isohydry is a viable drought tolerance mechanism in urban trees.     

How good are containerized trees for urban cooling?

The capacity of urban trees in mitigating urban heat is well-known. As space is often limited, one feasible option for increasing the urban green would be containerized plants. Nevertheless, for optimizing the vitality and benefits, detailed knowledge on tree growth reactions in different types of containers is missing. We designed an experiment with two commonly planted but ecologically contrasting urban tree species Tilia cordata and Platanus x hispanica planted into the ground and in containers according to four different planting types, with or without drought stress. Along with the meteorological variables, continuous soil moisture and temperature at 25 cm depth, sap flow, as well as measurements of leaf physiological responses i.e. stomatal conductance, mid-day leaf water potential and chlorophyll content were measured three times on sunny and warm summer days during 2020 and 2021. P. hispanica showed more than double diameter increment at breast height in the ground than in containers; however, the growth trend was relatively better for T. cordata in containers. While comparing different container types and species reactions, it was clear that soil temperature within the plastic containers were significantly higher, whereas insulation is not enough to reduce either the temperature or slowing down the soil drying out. Where both the species showed lower stomatal control over atmospheric demand, P. hispanica showed leaf transpiration energy loss of around 300 W m⁻² when planted in the ground and T. cordata trees around 260 W m⁻² when planted in non-insulated containers, which are comparable to the energy loss from the street trees. Therefore, a strategy of mixed planting with faster growing species such as P. hispanica that provide stronger cooling at the initial stage in the containers to be complemented and eventually replaced with medium growing species T. cordata for relatively longer time period could be suggested.     

Can canopy temperature acquired from an airborne level be a tree health indicator in an urban environment?

Nowadays, gathering information about tree health conditions in cities is necessary. Trees are essential in regulating urban microclimate and mitigating the urban heat island effect. Therefore, their health status should be crucial in urban vegetation monitoring. The growing number of new cameras, sensors and research methods allows for a broader application of thermal data in remote sensing vegetation studies. This research aimed to evaluate whether it is possible to use thermal infrared data to assess the health condition of selected species of deciduous trees in an urban environment. More specifically, the data must have a 3.6–4.9 µm spectral range, obtained during the day and the night. For this purpose, research was carried out in the city center of Warsaw (Poland) in 2020. During the airborne data acquisition, thermal data, laser scanning and RGB images were collected. Synchronously with airborne data, 617 ground references were obtained in different health condition classes (healthy, slightly poor condition, poor condition and dying) for five tree species: Acer platanoides, Acer pseudoplatanus, Aesculus hippocastanum, Tilia cordata and Tilia × euchlora. The results were as follows: (i) healthy trees were cooler than trees in poor condition and dying both during the daytime and nighttime; (ii) the difference in the canopy temperatures between healthy and dying trees was 1.06 °C of mean value on the nighttime data and 3.28 °C of mean value on the daytime data; (iii) all condition classes significantly differ from each other on daytime thermal data. The aerial thermal data can be considered a new alternative to hyperspectral data. Thermal sensing represents another method of assessing the health condition of trees in an urban environment – especially data obtained during the day, which can differentiate condition classes better than data obtained at night. The method based on thermal infrared and laser scanning data fusion could be a quick and efficient solution for identifying trees in poor health.     

Sana Physiological responses of two grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) cultivars to CycocelTM treatment during drought

The plant growth regulator Cycocel^TM [(2-chloroethyl)trimethylammonium chloride] can be used to produce drought tolerance in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) due to a reduction in the ratio between vegetative growth and fruit production. To evaluate the physiological responses of two grapevine cultivars to drought and Cycocel^TM treatment, a factorial experiment was conducted in a greenhouse. The factors included irrigation frequency (at 5-, 10-, or 15-day intervals corresponding to no, mild, or severe drought stress), Cycocel^TM concentration (0, 500, or 1000 mg l^–1), and cultivar (‘Rasheh’ or ‘Bidane-Sefid’). Stomatal conductance (g_s) the net rate of CO₂ assimilation (A_net), the rate of transpiration (T_r), and chlorophyll a and b concentrations decreased in plants exposed to mild or severe water-deficit stress, whereas carotenoid, proline, and total soluble sugar concentrations increased compared to plants with no drought stress. The relative water content (RWC) of leaves declined only under severe drought stress. A reduction in intercellular CO₂ concentrations (C_i) occurred under mild drought stress; however, under severe drought stress, C_i values increased. Under mild drought stress, the reduction in the net rate of photosynthesis was related to stomatal closure, whereas under severe drought stress, non-stomatal factors were dominant. Water-use efficiency (WUE) improved under mild drought stress relative to non-stressed plants, but under severe drought, it declined. Foliar applications of Cycocel^TM resulted in increased A_net, g_s, T_r, and WUE values, as well as proline and soluble sugar concentrations. ‘Rasheh’ was more tolerant to drought stress than was ‘Bidane-Sefid’. Foliar applications of Cycocel^TM, particularly at 1000 mg l^–1, mitigated the negative effects of drought stress by increasing A_net, WUE, RWC, compatible solute concentrations, such as proline, soluble sugar, and chlorophyll a and b concentrations.     

不同品种苹果树水分利用效率及有关参数的日变化

以１０年生苹果树为试材,探讨了几个品种的水分利用效率（ＷＵＥ）及有关参数的日变化,结果表明：①对ＷＵＥ而言,充足供水时,新红星＞富士＞红星;土壤干旱时,富士＞红星＞新红星。②土壤干旱时,富士的Ｐｎ和Ｐｎ／Ｃｉ较高,而Ｔｒ较低,说明富士对水分状况的反应较迟钝。③新红星的高Ｐｎ需以较高的Ｔｒ为代价。④无论是充足供水还是土壤干旱,富士的Ｇｓ始终远远小于新红星和红星,这对提高ＷＵＥ十分有利。     

Effect of water deficit and rewatering on leaf gas exchange and transpiration decline of excised leaves of four grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) cultivars

Grapevine cultivars are known to differ in their drought adaptation mechanisms, but there is little knowledge on how they behave when recovering after a drought event. The effects of increasing water deficit and recovery after rewatering were evaluated on four widely grown red grapevine cultivars native from different climates (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cs; Garnacha, syn. Grenache, Ga; Merlot, Me; and Tempranillo, Te) through the study of gas exchange (GE) measurements and transpiration decline curves (TDC). As a whole, Ga has proved to be the cultivar best adapted to water deficit, since it showed the highest water use efficiency (WUE) and the greatest water saving ability after leaf excision. Te, on the contrary showed the lowest values for those parameters under increasing stress, although when rewatered showed greater acclimation ability than Cs and Me, remarkably improving its behaviour. The two methodological approaches (GE and TDC) used at different water deficit levels and after rewatering, have complemented each other, allowing a better cultivar characterization than each method would had allowed itself.     

Diversity of street tree populations in larger Danish municipalities

Healthy and sustainable tree populations require a high diversity of genera and species. This study examined the occurrence and contents of tree inventories in Denmark's 30 largest municipalities. 59% of the municipalities had a tree inventory for street trees, but only about half of these were complete and updated. Only one municipality had a registration for trees other than street trees. Based on data from the tree inventories, the diversity of road side trees was analyzed at genus level and species level. A total of 82,072 street trees are part of the study. 11 different genera account for 92% of the total street tree stock, and 2–6 genera account for 40–80% of the street tree stock in the individual municipalities. Tilia was the most dominating genera (26%). 12 species account for 73% of the total street tree stock. The 6 most common species account for almost 50% of the total tree population. The species representing the largest numbers were Tilia × europaea (12%), Acer platanoides (10.9%), Platanus × acerifolia (7.2%), Tilia cordata (7.2%), Fraxinus excelsior (6.2%) and Sorbus intermedia (5.9%). The four most urbanized municipalities had a surplus of non-native species, but all municipalities apart from one had most street trees belonging to native species. The concluding recommendation of this study is that tree managers need to start working more strategic with their tree stock, in order to reduce the vulnerability, due to potential attacks from pests or diseases and climate change effects. A risk spreading system for the urban tree population is proposed, suggesting that no genera should account for more than 10% and no species for more than 5% of the tree population.     

Urban salt contamination impact on tree health and the prevalence of fungi agent in cities of the central Lithuania

An analysis of tree health in urban greeneries exposed to winter road salt contamination was carried out in the cities of Alytus and Kaunas, Lithuania, during spring and summer 2009–2014. Trees were assessed for crown dieback, crown defoliation and foliage discolouration. In addition, the prevalence of saprotrophic pathogenic fungi that cause sooty mold disease was assessed in street and recreational plantings. Tilia cordata Mill. (small-leaved lime) was found to be the most common tree species among urban deciduous trees. Summarising the tree foliage results, saprotrophic fungi were detected on 16 species plants belonging to 13 genera. Three species of fungal pathogens belonging to two genera, two families, two classes, and two divisions, and 12 species of anamorphic fungi from nine genera were isolated and identified from Tilia cordata leaves. The most frequent sooty mold disease agents were Aspergillus brasiliensis and Cladosporium herbarum. Nonetheless, a weak correlation between salt contamination and lime tree damage by sooty mold was found.     

Detecting different levels of drought stress in apple trees (Malus domestica Borkh.) with selected biochemical and physiological parameters

Rational irrigation scheduling based on sensing drought stress directly in plants is becoming more important due to increasing worldwide scarcity of fresh water supplies. In order to evaluate a set of potential biochemical and physiological stress indicators and select the best drought stress markers in apple trees, two experiments with potted trees and an experiment with intensive orchard grown apple trees ‘Elstar’ and ‘Jonagold Wilmuta’ were conducted in early summer in tree following years. Biochemical parameters: ascorbic acid, glutathione, tocopherols, chlorophylls, carotenoids, free amino acids, soluble carbohydrates, and physiological parameters already known as stress indicators in apple trees: predawn and midday leaf water potential, net photosynthesis (Pn), stomatal conductance (g_s), transpiration (Tr) and intercellular CO₂ concentration (Ci) were measured in leaves of apple trees subjected to different intensities of slowly progressing drought or no drought. Our study pointed out zeaxanthin and glutathione as the best drought stress markers in apple trees. Ascorbate and sorbitol appeared to be reliable indicators of moderate drought only. Responses of other tested biochemical parameters were not consistent enough to prove their role as drought stress markers in apple trees. Relative air humidity should be taken in consideration when physiological parameters g_s, Pn, Tr and Ci are used as drought stress markers in apple trees. Our study revealed that in situations where low relative air humidity affects g_s and with g_s connected physiological parameters, biochemical markers may be better tool for determination of drought stress intensities in apple trees.     

Radial growth response of horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum L.) trees to climate in Ljubljana,Slovenia

Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum L.) is a common urban tree species in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. This area is forecast to experience a general reduction in precipitation and an increase in temperature, which increases water demand in plants. Because A. hippocastanum is known for its drought vulnerability, the question of the future suitability of this urban tree species in Ljubljana has arisen. To investigate how climate has influenced A. hippocastanum radial growth and how trees responded to extreme climatic events, standardized precipitation-evapotranspiration index (SPEI) was used as a proxy for water demand. Climatic signal and its stability through time were calculated using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Additionally, to investigate whether the trees had a common response to extreme climatic events, pointer years were calculated using Cropper values. We sampled 19 trees that were growing in Tivoli Park in Ljubljana. After successful cross-dating of 15 trees, the ring count showed that the trees had up to 201 tree-rings and had 130 on average. Climate-tree growth analysis showed that in July, 3-month SPEI had the strongest influence on radial growth, but its influence on radial growth decreased over time, possibly due to the die-off process of trees. The narrowest tree-rings were a result of unusually dry periods at the time of cambium activity and/or new cell growth. With the forecast of longer, more frequent summer drought periods in Ljubljana, soil moisture stress will increase, and as a result, a decrease in radial tree growth of A. hippocastanum trees from Tivoli Park is expected.     

Stomatal regulation and xylem cavitation in Clementine (Citrus clementina Hort) under drought conditions

Summary

In many trees species, a strong relationship exists between stomatal closure and the onset of cavitation in xylem vessels. This relationship was investigated in a Citrus species. Young potted ‘Clementine’ (Citrus clementina Hort ‘Clementine’) grafted on ‘Carrizo Citrange’ (Citrus sinensis × Poncirus trifoliata) or ‘Trifoliate Orange’ (Poncirus trifoliata Raf), and grown under greenhouse conditions, were submitted to periods of drought by withholding irrigation. Pre-dawn water potential, leaf stomatal conductance, plant transpiration, the degree of xylem embolism, and xylem vulnerability curves were measured. Transpiration and stomatal conductance were reduced to a minimum value when the pre-dawn water potential reached -1 MPa. This value corresponded to the threshold pressure below which cavitation was induced. Higher intensities of water stress provoked more cavitation, but the degree of xylem embolism, as measured by percentage loss of conductivity, always remained below 50%. ‘Clementine’ is therefore vulnerable to embolism, but early stomatal regulation prevents the occurrence of embolism. Under severe water stress, ‘Clementine’ is able to maintain functional xylem vessels, which probably enhances its survival during periods of intense drought, and favours its recovery. This suggests that xylem cavitation is a key process in understanding the response of Citrus to drought and, hence, is a promising criterion by which to screen for more drought-tolerant genotypes.     

水分胁迫对蔓生紫薇和亮叶忍冬生长及生理特性的影响

 采用盆栽试验法, 研究水分胁迫对蔓生紫薇(Lagerstroemia indica‘Summer and summer’) 和亮叶忍冬(Lonicera nitida‘Maigrun’) 两种木本地被植物生长及生理特性的影响。结果表明: 水分胁迫下,两种植物的生长受到明显抑制, 蔓生紫薇受抑制程度高于亮叶忍冬, 其相对生长量远小于亮叶忍冬。水分胁迫使两种植物净光合速率、蒸腾速率、气孔导度下降, 胞间CO₂浓度则前期下降后期上升, 且表现为蔓生紫薇各生理指标的变化幅度大于亮叶忍冬。综合评价两种植物的抗旱性为: 亮叶忍冬> 蔓生紫薇。     

Porous-permeable pavements promote growth and establishment and modify root depth distribution of Platanus × acerifolia (Aiton) Willd. in simulated urban tree pits

In dense urban areas with heavy pedestrian traffic, current trends favor covering tree pits with porous-permeable pavement over installing grates or leaving the soil exposed. However, pavement cover potentially modifies soil moisture and temperature, altering tree growth and overall resilience, especially when coupled with heat stress and drought in a changing climate. This study evaluated the response of newly planted London plane (Platanus × acerifolia ‘Bloodgood’) trees to porous-permeable resin-bound gravel pavement and associated alterations in soil water distribution and temperature, in two distinct physiographic regions in Virginia, USA. Simulated urban tree pits were either covered with porous-permeable pavement or left unpaved, and root growth and depth, soil water content and temperature, and tree stem diameter measured over two growing seasons. At both sites, trees in paved tree pits grew larger than trees without pavement. Stem diameters were 29% greater at the Mountain site and 51% greater at the Coastal Plain site, as were tree heights (19% and 38% greater), and above ground dry biomass (67% and 185% greater). Roots under pavement developed faster and shallower, with many visible surface roots. In contrast, unpaved tree pits had almost no visible surface roots, and at the Mountain site only occupied an average area of 7 cm² within the 1-m² tree pits, compared with 366 cm² in paved tree pits. Pavement may have extended the root growing season by as much as 14 days, as the average soil temperature for the month of October was 1.1 °C and 1.2 °C higher under pavement than in unpaved pits. Porous-permeable pavement installations in tree pits accelerated establishment and increased growth of transplanted trees, but may result in shallower root systems that can damage pavement and other infrastructure. In addition, shallow root systems may prevent water extraction from deeper soils, compromising drought resilience.     

Rootstocks influence fruit oleocellosis in ‘Hamlin’ sweet orange (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck)

Oil spotting or oleocellosis, is a major problem in citrus crops. As the rootstock and fertilization play important roles in citrus growth and fruit development, we investigated the influence of different rootstocks on the growth, mineral nutrition metabolism, water relations, and fruit oleocellosis of eight-year-old field ‘Hamlin’ sweet orange trees. Trees grafted onto Lichi16-6 trifoliata (Poncircus trifoliate) had the greatest rate of oleocellosis (RO), and trees grafted onto Goutou orange (Citrus aurantium) had the greatest degree of oleocellosis (DO). In contrast, trees grafted onto Rangpur lime (Citrus limonia Osbeck) had the lowest RO and DO. Trees were the most vigorous on Rangpur lime rootstocks, followed by Lichi16-6 trifoliata, and then Goutou orange. In addition, because the scion/stock girth ratio showed significant correlations with the RO and DO, oleocellosis parameters can be a good indicator of scion/stock affinity. The total N, total P, Ca²⁺, and Mg²⁺ in leaves from trees on Rangpur lime were significantly lower than in leaves from trees on Goutou orange or Lichi16-6 trifoliata. In addition, the RO showed a significant correlation with the leaf Ca²⁺ and S concentrations and with the peel Mg²⁺ concentration. The DO was significantly correlated with the total peel N and S concentrations. In addition, the RO showed a significant correlation with the net assimilation of CO₂ (ACO₂), stomatal conductance (GS), transpiration rate (ET), and water-use efficiency (WUE). However, the DO showed a significant correlation with the GS, ACO₂, and WUE. Taken together, these results indicate that rootstocks affect the development of oleocellosis in ‘Hamlin’ sweet orange due to their effects on the mineral nutrition balance and water relations.     

Same,same, but different: Drought and salinity affect BVOC emission rate and alter blend composition of urban trees

Drought and salt are key abiotic stressors in temperate cities. Biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) emissions, often dominated by trees, influence the urban troposphere and mediate plant-plant and plant-insect interactions. While knowledge on constitutive BVOC emissions is increasing, modulation of blends by stress has yet received little attention. We thus investigated BVOC blends and herbivore-related subsets (‘bouquets’) of Quercus robur, Fagus sylvatica, Betula pendula and Carpinus betulus seedlings under control, and after 2-weeks of drought and salt stress using PTR-Tof-MS. 22 BVOCs were related to metabolic pathways, and changes among blends and bouquets were assessed. Drought led to a slight increase of isoprene and monoterpene emissions from Q. robur and F. sylvatica, respectively, while total non-isoprene emissions generally declined under water stress. Both drought and salinity led to distinct, species-specific changes in the emission rates of single BVOCs, and resulted in markedly different herbivore-related bouquets in F. sylvatica and C. betulus. Oxygenated VOCs and green leaf volatiles in particular increased in these two salt-sensitive species, while pathway-specific effects were less clear under drought. Findings indicate significant consequences of common urban stressors on BVOC emission spectra, including tropospheric ozone formation and severely hampered plant communication cues under stress.     

Photosynthetic acclimation of apple spur leaves to summer-pruning

A/C_i and photosynthetic light response curves for gas exchange characteristics were measured for spur leaves of 25-year-old ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Granny Smith’ apple trees (Malus domestica Borkh.) to investigate their acclimation capacity to a shade-to-sun transition in a commercial apple orchard. Spur leaves of both cultivars adapted to summer-pruning within 2 weeks, regardless of the time of the season at which pruning was conducted. There were no significant differences between the spur leaves of later pruned trees and corresponding leaves on trees that were continuously pruned during the summer period in terms of net photosynthetic rate and carboxylation efficiency, for both cultivars. The shape of the photosynthetic light response curves also proved the acclimation potential of both cultivars to shade-to-sun transitions. The rapid increase of the chlorophyll a/b ratio after pruning indicated that the acclimation of the photosynthetic system to avoid over-excitation of the photosynthetic reaction centers occurred within 1 week. Nevertheless, leaf dry mass per leaf area was intermediate between ‘continuous summer-pruning’ and ‘no-pruning’ treatments for leaves on later pruned trees, indicating that the acclimation to shade-to-sun transitions was not perfect in either cultivar. The present data also support the hypothesis that nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium are distributed to leaves growing under the highest photosynthetic photon flux density in order to maximize photosynthesis.     

Carbohydrate dynamics in roots,stems, and branches after maintenance pruning in two common urban tree species of North America

The ability of plants to tolerate stress is determined in part by the carbon allocated to their reserves. We studied two common urban tree species in northeastern North America, Acer saccharinum (Silver maple, native) and Acer platanoides (Norway maple, exotic), to assess the dynamics of non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) concentrations immediately following a maintenance pruning of 30% of the tree crown. NSC concentrations were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography in branches, main stems, and root tissues for both pruned and un-pruned trees at three intervals during the growing season. NSC concentrations in tree organs of A. platanoides were 75% higher than in A. saccharinum. Maintenance pruning did not have any significant depletion effect on carbohydrate concentrations in the tissues of either species. Yet, there was a significant increase in the NSC concentrations in un-pruned branches of pruned trees of A. platanoides at the end of the growing season, but no effect was observed in A. saccharinum. Higher levels of carbohydrates after pruning in woody plant tissues suggested that A. platanoides may have compensatory mechanisms that allow this species to respond better to maintenance pruning than A. saccharinum.     

Transpiration,photosynthetic responses,tissue water relations and dry mass partitioning in Callistemon plants during drought conditions

Callistemon is an Australian species used as ornamental plant in Mediterranean regions. The objective of this research was to analyse the ability of Callistemon to overcome water deficit in terms of adjusting its physiology and morphology. Potted Callistemon laevis Anon plants were grown in controlled environment and subjected to drought stress by reducing irrigation water by 40% compared to the control (irrigated to container capacity). The drought stress produced the smallest plants throughout the experiment. After three months of drought, the leaf area, number of leaves and root volume decreased, while root/shoot ratio and root density increased. The higher root hydraulic resistance in stressed plants caused decreases in leaf and stem water potentials resulting in lower stomatal conductance and indicating that water flow through the roots is a factor that strongly influences shoot water relations. The water stress affected transpiration (63% reduction compared with the control). The consistent decrease in g_s suggested an adaptative efficient stomatal control of transpiration by this species, resulting in a higher intrinsic water use efficiency (P_n/g_s) in drought conditions, increasing as the experimental time progressed. This was accompanied by an improvement in water use efficiency of production to maintain the leaf water status. In addition, water stress induced an active osmotic adjustment and led to decreases in leaf tissue elasticity in order to maintain turgor. Therefore, the water deficit produced changes in plant water relations, gas exchange and growth in an adaptation process which could promote the faster establishment of this species in gardens or landscaping projects in Mediterranean conditions.     

How light pollution can affect spring development of urban trees and shrubs

While artificial light at night (ALAN) is gaining more attention in view of its proven negative effect on animals, including humans, it remains a little-known matter when it comes to plants. Street lamps emit light that can be perceived by plants, and therefore disturb their natural photoperiod. In the present work we examine two different light treatments considered as low intensity (L-LP) and medium intensity (M-LP) light pollution (1 μmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ and 30 μmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ during the night, respectively) both comparable to different street lamps parameters (based on own field measurements). We have studied the influence of those LP treatments on the spring phenology and physiology of 4 tree species and 4 shrub species. The experiment involved species commonly used in European urban areas: Tilia tomentosa, Betula pendula, Fagus sylvatica, Acer campestre, Cornus alba, Lonicera pileata, Kerria japonica and Spiraea ×cinerea. All the investigated species were influenced by ALAN and developed buds faster than the control group. However, the changes were visible at different stages of bud development depending on species. The light pollution treatments resulted in a reduction of soluble sugars, measured in apical twigs of T. tomentosa, S. ×cinerea, K. japonica and A. campestre. In contrast, the soluble sugar content increased in branches of light-polluted L. pileata and C. alba when compared to the control group. These results prove, that light pollution affects the spring phenology and physiology of deciduous species. Long-term consequences of such reactions require more detailed studies.     

Growth and stability of deep planted red maple and northern red oak trees and the efficacy of root collar excavations

Trees with root systems established well below grade due to deep planting or soil disturbance are common in urban landscapes, yet the long term effects of buried trunks and subsequent remediation strategies, such as root collar excavation are poorly documented. We evaluated the consequences of deep planting over a 10-year period on tree growth and stability, with and without root collar excavation, for red maple [Acer rubrum L. Red Sunset^® (‘Franksred’)] and Northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) planted at grade or 30-cm below grade. Sleeves to prevent soil-trunk contact were installed around trunks on a subset of deep trees. Root collar excavations were made during the 6th growing season for both species and trees were grown for an additional 4 and 3 growing seasons for red maples and Northern red oaks, respectively. Within two weeks of root collar excavations, pulling tests compared the effect of treatments on stability of red maples. Deep planting generally slowed growth of red maple but had no clear effect on Northern red oak. Root collar excavation had no lasting effect on growth of either species. Approximately 55% of deep red maples and 33% of deep Northern red oaks had roots crossing and in intimate contact with buried trunks, suggesting a potential for future girdling roots. Approximately 25% of deep maples had substantial adventitious rooting. All deep Northern red oaks had new roots emerging just above the first original structural roots but none were clearly adventitious. Trunk sleeves had no effect on growth for either species. Neither deep planting nor root collar excavation resulted in a loss of tree stability compared to trees planted at grade, although failure patterns varied among treatments. Overall, the biggest long term concern for deep-planted trees is the potential for girdling root formation.