Ecology of City Trees
Dr. Somidh Saha (ITAS)
Organisation: The module will take place in the third block of the winter semester and involves both theory and field activities with urban trees outside, meaning that students should be prepared to work open air as well.
ECTS: 8
Scoring: a written exam of 120 min will give 80% of the scores. Students will appear for an oral examination, which will carry 20% of the score.
Teaching language: English
Topic: Urban trees are pivotal to the well-being of us humans and also the non-human life forms living in cities. Sustaining and developing urban trees is crucial to prepare our cities for the challenges of climate change. This requires an interdisciplinary approach combining knowledge on plant stress, ecology, with social, psychological, and political aspects. The module will highlight different aspects of city trees, introduce important methodology, and also integrate student activities in ongoing projects on urban trees in Karlsruhe.
Methodology: Students will learn how to assess tree health, ecological role, and environmental challenges using both monitoring techniques, such as field tree inventories or microhabitat assessment. They will be introduce to analytical methods, such as fine root assessment, sonic tomography for internal trunk damage assessment, and hand-held X-ray spectrometry to measure heavy-metal pollution.
Concepts:
Stress ecology (such as impact of drought on city trees), dendroecology (tree ring analysis and climate), ecophysiology (transpiration, photosynthesis, sap flow), growth pattern of city trees depending on urban factors, such as sealing and compaction of soils or pollution. Experimental design of field studies, perception of urban trees by society, also in the international and intercultural context. Crown morphology and size allometry of city trees and their variations between growing habitats. Productivity and stress ecology of city trees (light, water, and nutrients use efficiency, supply, and uptake with emphasis on drought). Root ecology of city trees. City trees as toxicological bioindicators with a focus on fruit and nut trees in cities Microhabitat and biodiversity values of city trees. Provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural ecosystem services of trees.
Lecture topics
- Urban and peri-urban forests
- Tree-related microhabitats
- Pollution impact and mitigation
- Heavy-metal detection using XFR
- Role of city trees for cooling and flood-prevention
- Ecosystem services of city trees
- Impact of abiotic factors on stem and root growth
- Ecophysiology of urban trees
- Applied aspects: species selection, breeding for resilience, digital twins
- Soil respiration and nutrition
- Trees and human well-being
- Wildlife in human-shaped urban ecosystems