Urban trees under climate change. Potential impacts of dry spells and heat waves in three German regions in the 2050s

Trees in urban parks provide considerable benefits to cities and their inhabitants by improving microclimatic conditions and providing shade and aesthetic value. Yet, growing conditions are already challenging for trees in urban areas today and may become even more demanding under climate change. Focussing on dry spells and heat waves, this study investigates potential climate change impacts on ten selected urban tree species in thee case study regions within Germany. It combines state-of-the-art climate projections from a regional climate model ensemble with available information from literature regarding the three species’ drought and heat tolerances to assess future tree species suitability under climate change. Report 24: Urban trees under climate change. Potential impacts of dry spells and heat waves in three German regions in the 2050s April 22, 2016