Suitable trees for urban landscapes in the Republic of Korea under climate change

Abstract

Climate change is one of the important causes of extreme weather events such as heat waves and heavy rainfalls, with can lead to severe consequences in urban areas. Trees in urban areas can reduce environmental problems related to climate change, and they are important for developing sustainable practices in urban planning. Climate is an important factor for the growth and survival of urban trees. There have been studies on species distribution models to predict potential and suitable habitats for vulnerable trees under future climate change. However, these studies have focused mainly on natural or forest trees. For sustainable landscape and urban planning in response to climate change and complex environmental problems, it is essential to study the effect of climate change on urban trees. Therefore, we focused on the effects of climate change on urban trees. We identified the suitable climate range for 13 most commonly planted urban tree species in the Republic of Korea. We estimated the changes in the suitable climate range with climate change for each urban tree and suggested suitable planting zones for each urban tree. Selecting appropriate urban trees by considering current climate suitability and future climate change can help develop environmental conditions for their successful survival and growth. Our results can support decision making in the landscape and urban planning process by providing scientific evidence. Furthermore, the research process and methods can be utilized in other countries that have environmental conditions similar to those in the Republic of Korea.