Structure and Ecosystem Services of Three Common Urban Tree Species in an Arid Climate City

Abstract

Urban forests play a critical role in improving the quality of life in cities, but in arid environments, little is known about the potential benefits and growth conditions of different tree species. Our study aimed to fill this gap by investigating the relationships between tree dimensions, above-ground biomass carbon storage, and shading potential in three common urban trees in the arid city of Jericho, Palestine, (i.e., Ficus nitida, Delonix regia, and Phoenix dactylifera). The trees were chosen according to their distribution in urban locations and tree vitality, with ages ranging from 20 to 90 years. Based on the results from tree structure measurements, the carbon storage and shading potential were calculated using the City Tree model. The results indicate a moderate to strong relationship between tree height, crown diameter, and crown volume for F. nitida and D. regia (R2 = 0.28–0.66), but no relationship for P. dactylifera (R2 = 0.03–0.06). The findings suggest that the analyzed tree species can considerably contribute to the potential benefits of trees in improving the climate of an arid city: D. regia shows a higher median of above-ground biomass carbon storage of 155 kg C tree−1, while P. dactylifera 91 kg C and F. nitida 76 Kg C. D. regia and F. nitida have a higher median of shading potential, (31 m2–41 m2), respectively. Information on the ecosystem services from urban trees and their relationships in terms of species, age, and tree planting urban location are very important for city planners, in relation to sustainable urban green spaces in arid cities.

Urban Forest and Urban Microclimate

“…The work of Amer et al ( 2023) [18] addresses the allometric relationships between the dimensions of urban trees, their aboveground biomass as carbon stores, and their shading potential. This study is of great interest because it focuses on three typical species growing in the arid city of Jericho, Palestine.…”

Seasonal and Depth Dynamics of Soil Moisture Affect Trees on the Tibetan Plateau

“…Tree growth is mainly influenced by temperature, precipitation, and their interactions [3,4]. It is well known that tree growth in arid regions is controlled by soil moisture (SM), while in humid regions, it is mainly influenced by temperature [5]. Therefore, there is variability in the environmental sensitivity of trees in different climatic contexts.…”

Season and depth differences of soil moisture use for tree growth across wet and dry gradients in the Tibetan Plateau

“…Global changes in tree growth are largely attributed to interactions between temperature, precipitation and radiation balance (Seddon et al 2016;Reichstein et al 2017). In particular, the main factor in uencing the growth of trees in humid environments is temperature, while the growth of trees in arid areas is mainly limited by moisture (Amer et al 2023).…”