New Study Challenges Assumptions About Urban Tree Stress

A new study led by researchers from the Green City Research Center at the Volcani Institute provides new insights into how urban environments affect tree health and resilience under climate stress.The study, recently published in *Urban Forestry & Urban Greening*, examined the physiological responses of urban trees growing in streets compared to parks in Tel Aviv. Using advanced ecophysiological measurements, the researchers investigated how different urban microenvironments influence water stress, hydraulic safety, and tree function under Mediterranean climate conditions. Contrary to common assumptions, the study found that street trees were not necessarily under greater physiological stress than park trees. In several cases, trees growing along streets maintained higher water availability and physiological activity than trees growing in parks, despite the challenging urban conditions typically associated with paved environments. The research suggests that urban infrastructure may create unexpected microclimatic and hydrological effects that influence tree survival and performance. The findings highlight the importance of data-driven urban forest management and demonstrate that urban tree resilience depends not only on species selection, but also on the specific ecological dynamics of different urban environments.As cities continue to face rising temperatures and increasing heat stress due to climate change, understanding how urban trees function under extreme conditions is becoming increasingly important for improving urban resilience, cooling cities, and supporting human well-being.The study was conducted by Aviad Dekel, Dr. Einat Shemesh-Mayer, Ido Nir, Alma Piermattei, Alan Crivellaro, Katja Irob, and Dr. Yakir Preisler from the Urban Forest Lab at the Green City Research Center, Volcani Institute. link to full paper