| Trees fulfil important aesthetic, social and environmental functions in urban areas. However, urban tree life is increasingly under stress due to trampling, compaction, and impervious surfacing with negative effects on water supply. This has in turn led to poor vitality, tree decline and the recurring outbreaks of disease, particularly in street locations. Therefore, future tree species and clones need to be rigorously selected to better adapt to these very harsh growing conditions. Climate change, with extended warmer and drier periods, will further increase the need for selecting species adapted to hot summers and to paved constructions and impervious surfacing within the urban fabric. The aim of the PhD-course ‘Urban Dendrology’ is to provide an opportunity for regional and international knowledge exchange to further precede a professional approach to plant and manage sustainable urban tree habitats. With students and senior researchers participating, the course will encourage future development strategies, with specific focus on plant material (species diversity and adaptation), in addressing challenges of climate adaptation and urban densification. |
|
