Dendrochronological analysis of urban trees: climatic response and impact of drought on frequently used tree species,Trees, August 2014, Volume 28, Issue 4, pp 1079–1093

Abstract : Trees in urban environments are exposed to heat stress, low air humidity and soil drought. The increasing temperatures and the more frequent heat and drought events will intensify the stress level of urban trees. We applied a dendrochronological approach to evaluate the species-specific suitability under increasing risk of drought of five tree species at highly sealed urban sites in the city of Dresden (Germany). Climate-growth correlation analyses show that temperatures and water availability from April to July in the current year and in summer and autumn of the previous year are the main determining factors for radial growth. However, distinct species-specific differences were found in the response to temperature, precipitation and the self-calibrated Palmer Drought Severity Index. During the study period, the influence of temperature and drought on radial growth during summer months increases for Acer platanoides and Acer pseudoplatanus, whereas no changes occurred for Quercus petraea, Quercus rubra, and P. × hispanica. Pointer year analysis and superposed epoch analyses revealed a species-specific response to extreme climatic events. While for A. platanoides and A. pseudoplatanus a higher number of negative pointer years and significant growth declines in drought years were found, Q. petraea and Q. rubra showed more frequent positive pointer years but no significant growth reductions during drought. Based on these response patterns we classified the studied tree species according to their suitability and drought tolerance for urban sites.

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Thanks for share this sources Dr srivastava , I appreciate a lot.

Best regards

sina sharifzadeh

Dear Colleague,

I recommend to use a non-destructive and fast method, like Chlorophyll a Fluorescence OJIP Analysis (called also JIP-Test).

With the JIP-Test you measure fluorescence curves in attached leaves in only 1 second. You can get a huge amount of information on the photosynthetic performance of the tree.

See: Quality assessment of urban trees: A comparative study of physiological characterisation, airborne imaging and on site fluorescence monitoring by the OJIP-test, Journal of Plant Physiology 160(1):81-90 · February 2003

DOI: 10.1078/0176-1617-00917

Measuring fluorescence from several leaves at the same tree will enable to calculate average values of the photosynthetic performance of your plants. Indeed, you can use these indexes as a a quantitative method to estimate and evaluate the resistance of your plant to different kind of stress, like urban pollution stress, drought, waterflood, salt stress, temperature, and any other kind of biotic and abiotic stress.

There are many advantages in using Chl a Fluorescence technique, mainly

1. Fluorometer machines are not expensive.

2. Measurements can be done in the field, as fluorometers become more easy to carry: the size of a pocket pen :-)

3. There is a huge amount of literature on its use, theory and applications

4. Last technical developments in fluorometers enable measuring Chlorophyll content by reflectance, modulated 820nm absorption (P700 activity), delayed fluorescence, far red preillumination, ultrafast pulse-and-probe testing, etc.

Moreover,  from fluorescence curves we can calculate many photosynthetic parameters (like the Performance Index) that have been broadly and successfully used in in agricultural crop production, arboriculture, phenotyping, and in forestry for tree varieties selection and monitoring. Fluorescence technique is widely used  in plant breeding applications for selection of resistant plant varieties to a particular kind of stress.

Please, see:

1) Maldonado Rodriguez et al. (2003) Can machines recognise stress in plants? Environmental Chemistry Letters 1(3):201-205, 

DOI: 10.1007/s10311-003-0034-7

2) Kalaji H et al (2014). Frequently asked questions about in vivo chlorophyll fluorescence: practical issues. Photosynth. Res.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11120-014-0024-6

I could help you to establish your own drought stress tolerance index based on fluorescence measurements. Just send me an e-mail: [email protected]

Hope this help.

Ronald M. Rodriguez

Article Can machines recognise stress in plants?

Article Quality assessment of urban trees: A comparative study of ph...

Dear Rodriguez

tank you very much for your helpful and exhaustive answer also your offer to help me for establish drought stress tolerance index.I appreciate a lot

best regards

Nasib sharifzadeh