Urbanization significantly alters microclimatic and environmental conditions, thereby affecting the physiological functioning of urban trees. This study aimed to evaluate whether leaf-level physiological measurements and satellite-based remote sensing indicators consistently detect similar physiological response patterns across contrasting urban and park environments in Novi Sad, Serbia, using three tree species (Platanus × acerifolia, Celtis australis, and Tilia tomentosa). Leaf gas exchange parameters, including stomatal conductance (gs), net photosynthesis (A), transpiration rate (E), water use efficiency (WUE), and intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), were measured using a CIRAS-3 portable photosynthesis system. Satellite-derived variables included vegetation indices (NDVI, NDRE, NDMI) and land surface temperature (LST), which were used to construct proxy indicators of physiological processes. Results revealed consistent differences between urban and park environments, with urban conditions associated with reduced photosynthetic activity, stomatal conductance, and transpiration, alongside increased physiological stress. These patterns were consistently captured by satellite-derived proxies, demonstrating strong agreement in the direction of physiological responses across species and environments. Species-specific responses were evident, with P. × acerifolia showing the highest sensitivity to urban conditions, C. australis exhibiting intermediate responses, and T. tomentosa suggesting comparatively greater tolerance. The integration of leaf-level measurements with satellite-derived proxies provides a robust framework for scaling physiological processes and monitoring urban tree performance, highlighting the potential of remote sensing for assessing urban vegetation stress and supporting evidence-based urban forestry management.
Kesić et al. (Wed,) studied this question.