Abstract

The development of urban areas threatens the Earth’s systems by damaging ecosystems and decreasing biodiversity, as well as contributing to climate change due to increased air pollution from transportation and industrial activities. Greening along streets can help mitigate climate change effects, making plant species selection crucial for greening programs. The suitability of a plant species can be understood by studying growth strategies through ecophysiological components analysis in leaves and stems. This study aimed to identify the ecophysiological characteristics of roadside trees in urban area for designing a sustainable urban greening strategy. Using this approach, we can understand the adaptation and performance of trees facing urban environmental pressures. Field observations or abiotic factor and laboratory analysis were employed to identify ecophysiological characteristics including specific leaf area (SLA), specific leaf weight (SLW), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), LA, leaf thickness, stomatal density, stomatal aperture, trichome density, chlorophyll content and wood density (WD). Analyses of important ecophysiological characteristics (LA, SLA, LDMC, and WD) showed that the trees could be grouped into non-native (Swietenia mahagoni, Samanea saman, Muntingia calabura, and Monoon longifolium) and native species (Mimusops elengi, Pterocarpus indicus, Ficus benjamina, and Syzygium myrtifolium). These results provide recommendations for tree species suitable for roadside planting based on ecophysiological performance data.