Abstract
‘Planting of trees in towns should not be given in senseless and untrained hands, because one has to fight against unfavorable soil-, airand other conditions. From noticing them the safe and prospering development of expensive establishments highly depends’ (translated from Fintelmann 1877). Depending on the geographic situation and the urban structure, the environmental conditions in urbanized areas are more or less harsh and they differ from natural growing conditions. The impact of the urban environment on urban vegetation is neither constant in intensity nor periodical. There are numerous constraints that are crucial for the survival and vitality of urban vegetation. This chapter focuses on basic abiotic growing conditions in urbanized areas, on artificial deviations from the natural undisturbed habitat quality in forests that contribute to stresses and threats for urban vegetation. This includes both the qualitative and quantitative impact of different site factors and the time-scale as well: specifics of urban climate, air pollution, constraints and peculiarities of urban hydrological cycles, urban soil conditions in general and in particular unfavorable physical soil properties, unbalanced nutrient supply, soil pollution and fire problems. Possible remedies and precautions to improve growing conditions for urban trees are implicated. In short, the interactions between human activities and the urban environment are discussed to help minimize abiotic stresses that reduce the vigor and vitality especially of trees, and that increase their susceptibility to biotic stresses. Vice versa the impact of urban vegetation on urban ecology is summarized.
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