Surface paving more important than species in determining the physiology, growth and cooling effects of urban trees

Urban trees provide numerous ecosystem services including the mitigation of urban heat. However, this cooling effect is often restricted due to poor tree growth and health caused by harsh growing conditions. The aim of this study is to analyse the influence of surface paving on the physiology, growth and cooling benefits of street trees of three common species with contrasting drought tolerance (Aesculus hippocastanum, Tilia x europaea and Quercus palustris) in Gothenburg, Sweden. Tree structural parameters, leaf water potentials, gas exchange, leaf area density and chlorophyll content were measured in three summertime periods in 2017 and 2018. Moreover, based on the measured data, the cooling effects of studied trees due to shading and transpiration were modelled. For all species, trees at highly paved sites were found to have significantly reduced growth, physiological performance and cooling effects compared to sites with a higher degree of permeable surfaces. This negative effect of surface paving was stronger than the effect of species, despite differences in drought tolerance and water use strategy between studied species. Based on the sensitivity of species to surface paving, we recommend Q. palustris and T. europaea for sites with good growing conditions due to their potential to maintain high water use and growth rates, and A. hippocastanum for highly paved sites where shading is not the primary ecosystem service sought. Our findings emphasise the importance of tree planting design in supporting urban tree growth and the continuous provision of ecosystem services, particularly in the context of the changing climate.