Urban ForestryKendall McCoach

Tree Growth Response to Variable Urban Climate Informs Urban Forest C Storage Potential

Due to urban conditions, trees in urban forests experience altered climate that mimics global change, impacting tree growth. This project attempts to determine how tree growth relates to urban temperature and precipitation patterns over the last century, using tree ring analysis of multiple tree species and sources of climate data across forests in Baltimore MD, Newark DE, and Philadelphia PA. The tree rings recorded on each core are measured to compile a record of urban forest tree growth for each species in each city. These growth records will be compared to climate variables including in-situ understory forest temperature and soil moisture to understand how tree growth in urban forests responds to climate. This understanding is critical because tree growth response determines forest capacity to provide ecosystem services including carbon storage.