Heat tolerance of urban trees-A review

The frequency and intensity of heat stress events globally have increased over the past 20 years. Climatic modeling predicts that this trend will continue throughout the 21st century, with the global land area experiencing heat waves doubling by 2020 and quadrupling by 2040. Due to the reflective nature of buildings and infrastructure, heat temperatures tend to be higher within urban landscapes than outlying rural areas. Heat stress influences processes from the molecular level to whole-tree biology. At the leaf level, photosynthesis is reduced, photo-oxidative stress increases, premature leaf abscission occurs, and the growth of leaves decreases. Growth decreases at the whole tree level, and biomass allocation between roots, shoots, leaves, and branches is altered. When drought and heat stress are combined, detrimental effects are considerably enhanced and, without irrigation, can quickly lead to tree death. There have been few studies regarding the heat tolerance of urban tree species. However, there is evidence of genetic variation in heat tolerance between and within species within forestry, which could be essential to exploit for urban trees. Understanding the mechanisms of tree physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses to extreme heat events is also necessary for understanding how urban tree species will be affected by climate change.