Exploring the relationship between tree traits and microhabitat richness in urban greenspaces of Nagpur city, India

Trees stocks in domestic gardens and willingness to participate in tree planting initiatives in low-cost housing areas of the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Background and Objectives: Urban forests and green space contribute to human wellbeing. Green infrastructure is recognized by the European Union as a planning tool that contributes to the implementation of many public policies, with urban forests and green space as its main building blocks. Croatia and Slovenia are young democracies and recent members of the European Union. Hence, they also need to contribute to the implementation of those policies. Previous review studies on urban forests and green space rarely addressed scientific or professional publications in those countries. Furthermore, the body of knowledge about urban forest and green space research and practice in post-socialist countries is still rather weak. The goal of the paper is (a) to show that urban forest and green space research and practice is much stronger in these countries than it is possible to assume based only on previous review papers or only by searching Scopus and Web of Science, and (b) to describe publications written by scientists and professionals in the past 30 years. Materials and Methods: We used a trilingual systematic literature review to identify scientific and grey literature in various databases, as well as a snowballing technique, and yielded 211 publications in Croatia and 84 in Slovenia. Results: We identified many more publications on urban forests and green space science and practice in Croatia and Slovenia than it was possible to assume based only on previous review papers and when searching solely publications in English. Croatian authors showed continuity over time in terms of number of publications, while Slovenian publications have been on the rise in the past decade. In both countries, scientific papers were most frequent, and the vast majority of studies addressed capital cities. Croatian publications mainly focused on parks and park-forests, while Slovenian publications focused on urban forests. Interestingly, Croatian authors were affiliated with over 60 organizations, and in comparison to Slovenian authors, have stronger preference towards publishing in their local language. Green space planning and design followed by resource inventory were the most frequent themes. The least addressed themes in both countries were resource management, economic aspects, policy, legislation or governance. Conclusions: Important discussion in the future, especially in Croatia, would be regulation of urban forestry as a profession. Cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary studies, as well as focusing on cities other than capitals in future, can help in addressing issues such as climate change or application of participatory approaches.

A wide range of urban green spaces can be entered by the public in Sabah. These urban green spaces are dominated by indigenous tree species, although certain exotic trees are incorporated into the urban landscapes of Sabah. A combination of indigenous and exotic tree species is applied in local urban landscaping, to maximise the ecosystem services provided to a certain area by the urban trees and shrubs. To date, various perspectives of urban forestry in Sabah have been explored by researchers, which include the species composition and ecology of the urban wildlife and vegetation, conditions of the urban trail, health condition of urban tree stands, prospects and functions of various urban habitats, and the perception and satisfaction of public to the urban green spaces. The impacts of the urbanisation and introduction of exotic tree species to the indigenous tree community, and the implementation of GIS in monitoring the change in urban green cover, are yet to be conducted in the urban landscapes of Sabah. With this, further research is required to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the current conditions of every existing urban area and green space presented in Sabah.KeywordsEcosystem serviceUrban biodiversityUrban green spaceUrban landscape

The carbon footprint of urban green space—A life cycle approach

Citizens’ perception of and satisfaction with urban forests and green space: Results from selected Southeast European cities

Urban forests provide many benefits to residents and may also improve cities’ resilience, the overall capacity to recover from anthropogenic and natural disturbances. Resilience is often considered from an ecological, social, or social-ecological perspective. In this literature review, we synthesize past studies (n = 31) to explore resilience in urban forests and green spaces and to understand how social or ecological perspectives have been considered. We found studies that combine resilience and urban forests have been increasing over time. Definitions of both resilience and urban forests are highly variable, but generally the studies increasingly focus on a social-ecological systems approach. The most common theoretical framework applied to understanding urban forests and resilience is a risk and vulnerability assessment approach. Studies were spread across geographies, with some concentration near major research stations and universities with scientists who specialize in resilience and urban green spaces. As more attention is focused on the role of green infrastructure in contributing to urban resilience, we encourage the adoption of consistent definitions, theories, and indicators.

The COVID-19 pandemic has strongly impacted our society, producing drastic changes in people’s routines and daily mobility, and putting public spaces under a new light. This paper starts with the premise that the use of urban forests and green spaces - where and for who they were available and accessible - increased, when social restrictions were most stringent. It takes an explorative approach to examine changes in attitude towards urban forests and urban green spaces in terms of attraction (i.e., as the actual use behaviour), intended use (i.e., intention of going to green spaces), and civic engagement in relation to green spaces. In particular, it analyses the responses to a survey of 1987 respondents in Belgium and statistically examines the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics, urbanisation characteristics, actual and intended green space use, and changes in attitudes towards green spaces and civic engagement. The findings show that highly educated citizens experienced an increase in actual and intended use of green spaces during the pandemic, but that this increase differs among sociodemographic profiles such as impact of age or access to private green, and depends on their local built environment characteristics. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has strongly impacted citizens’ attitudes, as well as (intended) behaviour and civil engagement with respect to the green spaces in their area.

Carbon (C) sequestration and nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) accumulation in urban forest green spaces are significant for global climate regulation and alleviating nutrient pollution. However, the effects of management and conservation practices across different urban forest vegetation types on soil C, N, and P contents and stoichiometric ratios remain largely unexplored. We selected forest soils from Guangzhou, a major Metropolis in China, as our study area. Soil samples were collected from two urban secondary forests that naturally regenerated after disturbance (108 samples) and six urban forest parks primarily composed of artificially planted woody plant communities (72 samples). We employed mixed linear models and variance partitioning to analyze and compare soil C, N, and P contents and their stoichiometry and its main driving factors beneath suburban forests and urban park vegetation. These results exhibited that soil pH and bulk density in urban parks were higher than those in suburban forests, whereas soil water content, maximum storage capacity, and capillary porosity were higher in urban forests than in urban parks. Soil C, N, and P contents and their stoichiometry (except for N:P ratio) were significantly higher in suburban forests than in urban parks. Multiple analyzes showed that soil pH had the most pronounced negative influence on soil C, N, C:N, C:P, and N:P, but the strongest positive influence on soil P in urban parks. Soil water content had the strongest positive effect on soil C, N, P, C:N, and C:P, while soil N:P was primarily influenced by the positive effect of soil non-capillary porosity in suburban forests. Overall, our study emphasizes that suburban forests outperform urban parks in terms of carbon and nutrient accumulation, and urban green space management should focus particularly on the impact of soil pH and moisture content on soil C, N, and P contents and their stoichiometry.

Climate change is intensifying stressors on tree ecosystems, creating an urgent need to understand how climate variables influence vegetation health. This study investigated the influence of leaf temperature, wind speed, surface pressure, and moisture levels on tree health in a deciduous forest at Aspley Heath and an urban area in Milton Keynes, UK, using the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) as a vegetation health indicator. Satellite data from 2018 to 2023 revealed multiple heatwave events, with leaf temperatures surpassing the critical thresholds of 38 °C and 42 °C, as determined through controlled experiments. Generalised linear mixed models (GLMMs) demonstrated strong interactions between climate variables and vegetation health. Increased leaf temperature was positively associated with NDVI in both ecosystems, though urban trees showed a weaker response (β = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.16–0.48, p < 0.001) compared to forest trees (β = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.35–0.55, p < 0.001), suggesting urban heat island effects limit thermal benefits. Since all predictors were standardised, these coefficients indicate that a 3.82 °C increase in leaf temperature corresponds to a 0.32 NDVI increase in urban areas and a 0.45 increase in forests, reflecting meaningful ecological responses to moderate warming. Wind speed had a consistently negative impact on NDVI, with stronger effects in urban areas (β = − 0.21, 95% CI: − 0.41 to − 0.02, p = 0.035) than in forests (β = − 0.17, 95% CI: − 0.29 to − 0.05, p = 0.004). Surface pressure showed positive associations with vegetation health (urban: β = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.03–0.31, p = 0.02; forest: β = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.04–0.24 p = 0.005), while moisture availability emerged as a critical factor, with forest trees displaying a stronger response (β = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.29–0.49, p < 0.001) compared to urban trees (β = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.20–0.40, p < 0.001). Additionally, time-lag analysis revealed that leaf temperature had both an immediate effect on NDVI (lag 0: β = 0.64, p < 0.001) and a smaller delayed influence the following day (lag + 1: β = 0.18, p < 0.001) on NDVI, highlighting short-term vegetation sensitivity to thermal stress. These findings highlight how urban and forest trees differ in their resilience to climate variables, emphasising the need for targeted environmental management strategies to mitigate climate-induced stressors and protect tree ecosystems. Graphical Abstract The graphical abstract provides a concise visual summary of the study, illustrating how climate variables impact tree health in contrasting urban and forest environments. Using satellite-derived NDVI data and Generalised Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs), the abstract displays the standardised effect sizes (β-values) for key leaf temperature, wind speed, surface pressure, and moisture availability predictors. Each climate variable is clearly labelled alongside its corresponding β coefficient to improve interpretability. Leaf temperature positively influenced vegetation health in both ecosystems, with a stronger effect in forests (β = 0.45) than in urban areas (β = 0.32). Similarly, moisture availability showed a more substantial effect in forests (β = 0.39) compared to urban areas (β = 0.30). Wind speed negatively affected tree health, with a more pronounced impact in urban environments (β = − 0.21) than in forests (β = − 0.17). Surface pressure showed a smaller but positive influence in both settings (urban: β = 0.17; forest: β = 0.14). A colour gradient background from cool blue-green on the forest side to warm orange-red on the urban side, as well as the blue and red thermometers respectively, represents the cooler environment in the forest compared to the warmer urban area. A thermometer icon with the warming planet next to the heatwave graph and spatial maps visually highlights the extreme heat events.

BackgroundAs populations become increasingly urbanised, the preservation of urban green space (UGS) becomes paramount. UGS is not just dedicated recreational space such as public parks, but other types of informal green space are important, for example, street trees and roof gardens. Despite the potential from cross-sectional evidence, we know little about how to design new, or improve or promote existing UGS for health, wellbeing, social and environmental benefits, or known influencing factors such as physical activity. ObjectivesTo perform a meta-narrative review of the evidence regarding the health, wellbeing, social, environmental and equity effects, or known influencing factors of these outcomes, of UGS interventions. Data sourcesEight electronic databases were searched ((Medline, PsycINFO, Web of Science (Science and Social Science Citation Indices), PADDI (Planning Architecture Design Database Ireland), Zetoc, Scopus, Greenfiles, SIGLE (System for Information on Grey Literature in Europe)), and reference lists of included studies and relevant reviews were hand searched for further relevant studies. Study eligibility criteria, participants, and interventionsEligibility criteria included: (i) evaluation of an UGS intervention; and (ii) health, wellbeing, social or environmental outcome(s), or known influencing factors of these outcomes, measured. Interventions involving any age group were included. Interventions must have involved: (a) physical change to green space in an urban-context including improvements to existing UGS or development of new UGS, or (b) combination of physical change to UGS supplemented by a specific UGS awareness, marketing or promotion programme to encourage use of UGS. Study appraisal and synthesis methodsFollowing a meta-narrative approach, evidence was synthesised by main intervention approach, including: (i) park-based; (ii) greenways/trails; (iii) urban greening; (iv) large green built projects for environmental purposes. Outcomes such as economic (e.g. cost effectiveness and cost–benefit analyses), adverse effects and unintended consequences were also extracted. Evidence was synthesised following the RAMESES guidelines and publication standards, the PROGRESS-plus tool was used to explore equity impact, and risk of bias/study quality was assessed. The findings from the evidence review were presented at an expert panel representing various disciplines in a workshop and these discussions framed the findings of the review and provide recommendations that are relevant to policy, practice and research. ResultsOf the 6997 studies identified, 38 were included. There was strong evidence to support park-based (7/7 studies) and greenway/trail (3/3 studies) interventions employing a dual-approach (i.e. a physical change to the UGS and promotion/marketing programmes) particularly for park use and physical activity; strong evidence for the greening of vacant lots (4/4 studies) for health, wellbeing (e.g. reduction in stress) and social (e.g. reduction in crime, increased perceptions of safety) outcomes; strong evidence for the provision of urban street trees (3/4 studies) and green built interventions for storm water management (6/7 studies) for environmental outcomes (e.g. increased biodiversity, reduction in illegal dumping). Park-based or greenway/trail interventions that did not employ a dual-approach were largely ineffective (7/12 studies showed no significant intervention effect). Overall, the included studies have inherent biases owing to the largely non-randomized study designs employed. There was too little evidence to draw firm conclusions regarding the impact of UGS interventions on a range of equity indicators. Limitations; conclusions and implications of key findingsUGS has an important role to play in creating a culture of health and wellbeing. Results from this study provide supportive evidence regarding the use of certain UGS interventions for health, social and environmental benefits. These findings should be interpreted in light of the heterogeneous nature of the evidence base, including diverging methods, target populations, settings and outcomes. We could draw little conclusions regarding the equity impact of UGS interventions. However, the true potential of UGS has not been realised as studies have typically under-evaluated UGS interventions by not taking account of the multifunctional nature of UGS. The findings have implications for policymakers, practitioners and researchers. For example, for policymakers the trajectory of evidence is generally towards a positive association between UGS and health, wellbeing, social and environmental outcomes, but any intervention must ensure that negative consequences of gentrification and unequal access are minimised.

Identifying the factors affecting citizens' willingness to participate in urban forest governance: Evidence from the municipality of Palermo, Italy

Urban green open space area is one of the strategies to deal with climate change mitigation and adaptation issues. As one of the relevant exemplifications of the “Urban Forest” concept and sustainable urban development, legal control of urban green open space is necessary to support the effort. This study examines urban green open space policies, practices, opportunities, and challenges in Bogor city regarding climate change mitigation and adaptation. Furthermore, local regulations, including legal issues, key players, and their roles in urban forest management were also discussed. A desk study with descriptive exploratory was implemented in this paper. The results showed that there are challenges in the implementation of urban green open space area policies into urban forest practices. The land size allocation for urban forests in Bogor, West Java, is still not by the existing policies as their land size is far less than 30%. Moreover, most local regulations have relatively paid little attention to private property policy. Local governments can enact local regulations for technical guidelines in short-term strategy as local regulations are expected to support the regional level of urban forests and green open space development. Multi stakeholders’ cooperation and community engagement are potential initiatives for urban forest development at the local government level for climate change resilience.

The benefits of tree wounds: Microhabitat development in urban trees as affected by intensive tree maintenance

干旱区绿洲城市树木健康评估及影响因素——以乌鲁木齐市为例

The purpose of the study was to review ecosystem service researches and show the trend to guide researchers who want to study ecosystem service. Ecosystem service has been a theoretical base for conservation of nature such as grand mountains, rivers and so on. Moreover, reviewed studies showed economical, social, environmental values of ecosystem service in nature as well as in urban to support ecosystem service theory. By leading metropolitan governments in America, Canada and european and asian countries, the urban tree canopy(UTC)s’ ecosystem services have been evaluated quantitatively and accumluated as urban forestry data. This global trend has an implication that the study of UTC and its ecosystem service can support the provision of urban forestry and green spaces and especially, Korean cities should realize UTCs’ values on ecosystem services and start to apply them institutionally to enhance their urban environment. Keywords: Urban tree Canopy Cover, Urban forest, Urban green space, Urban ecosystem services