Vitality responses of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) to temperature variations along an urban-rural gradient

Abstract

We examined vitality responses of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) across a natural temperature gradient from cooler rural to warmer urban lowland sites in eastern Germany, using a space-for-time approach. Temperature responses were determined based on five complementary vitality indicators – crown transparency, needle chlorosis, needle length, shoot length, and leader deformation – across three age classes.