Comparative Assessment of Physiological and Ecological Characteristics of Selected Tree Species in Urban Green Spaces of Zahedan city

Document Type : Complete file

Authors

1 Assistant Professor Improvement Plant and Seed Department, Yazd Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center Research, AREEO, Yazd, Iran.

2 Associate Professor Department of Horticultural Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Birjand, Iran.

3 Student Department of Horticultural Science and Engineering, University of Birjand, Iran.

10.29252/aridbiom.2026.4308

Abstract

The selection of plant species adapted to local environmental conditions is one of the most critical factors determining the success and sustainability of urban green spaces. To evaluate the eco-physiological performance of different tree species under the environmental conditions of Zahedan, gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, mineral nutrition, and other physiological traits were assessed in four tree species, pomegranate (Punica granatum L.), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.), elm (Ulmus minor L.), and ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.), during 2023–2025. The results demonstrated that pomegranate and ash exhibited significantly higher net photosynthetic rate, intercellular CO₂ concentration, and Fv/Fm values, indicated greater photosynthetic efficiency and superior tolerance to urban environmental conditions. In contrast, elm showed the lowest photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and Fv/Fm, suggested greater sensitivity to environmental stress. Leaf nutrient analysis further revealed that pomegranate and ash had the highest potassium concentration and K/Na ratio, together with the lowest accumulation of sodium and chloride. Conversely, elm accumulated the greatest amounts of sodium and chloride while exhibiting the lowest K/Na ratio. These findings indicated that pomegranate and ash possess a greater capacity to maintain ionic homeostasis and withstand salinity-related stress and other adverse urban conditions. Similarly, pomegranate and ash maintained the highest relative water content (RWC) and the lowest leaf temperature, whereas elm exhibited the lowest RWC, the highest electrolyte leakage, and the highest leaf temperature, reflecting greater physiological damage and reduced water status under urban stress. In conclusion, the results demonstrated that pomegranate and ash are better adapted to the environmental conditions of Zahedan’s urban green spaces than black locust and elm. Their superior eco-physiological performance, nutrient status, and water relations highlighted their potential as resilient species for sustainable urban greening in arid and semi-arid regions.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

[1]. Baker, N. R. (2008). Chlorophyll fluorescence: A probe of photosynthesis in vivo. Annual Review of Plant Biology, 59, 89–113. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.arplant.59.032607.132759
[2]. Barrs, H. D., & Weatherley, P. E. (1962). A re-examination of the relative turgidity technique for estimating water deficits in leaves. Australian Journal of Biological Sciences, 15(3), 413–428. https://doi.org/10.1071/BI9620413
[3]. Black, C. A., Evans, D. D., White, J. L., Ensminger, L. E., & Clark, F. E. (Eds.). (1965). Methods of soil analysis: Part 1. Physical and mineralogical properties, including statistics of measurement and sampling (Agronomy Monograph No. 9). American Society of Agronomy.
[4]. Blum, A. (2011). Plant breeding for water-limited environments. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7491-4
[5]. Cakmak, I. (2005). The role of potassium in alleviating detrimental effects of abiotic stresses in plants. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, 168(4), 521–530. https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.200420485
[6]. Chaves, M. M., Flexas, J., & Pinheiro, C. (2009). Photosynthesis under drought and salt stress: Regulation mechanisms from whole plant to cell. Annals of Botany, 103(4), 551–560. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcn125
[7]. Dionisio-Sese, M. L., & Tobita, S. (1998). Antioxidant responses of rice seedlings to salinity stress. Plant Science, 135(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-9452(98)00025-9
[8]. Farooq, M., Wahid, A., Kobayashi, N.,   Fujita, D., & Basra, S. M. A. (2009). Plant drought stress: Effects, mechanisms and management. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 29(1), 185–212.https://doi.org/10.1051/agro:2008021
[9]. Flexas, J., Bota, J., Loreto, F., Cornic, G., & Sharkey, T. D. (2004). Diffusive and metabolic limitations to photosynthesis under drought and salinity in C3 plants. Plant Biology, 6(3), 269–279. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2004-820867
[10]. Gillner, S., Vogt, J., Tharang, A., Dettmann, S., & Roloff, A. (2017). Role of street trees in mitigating effects of climate change in urban environments. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 21, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.
[11]. Jones, H. G. (2014). Plants and microclimate: A quantitative approach to environmental plant physiology (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
[12]. Khayyat, M., Vazifeshenas, M. R., & Akbari, M. (2024). Leaf temperature and peroxidase activity of bearing pistachio cultivars. Journal of Horticulture and Postharvest Research, 7(3), 237–248. https://doi.org/10.22077/jhpr.2024.7197.1358
[13]. Lutts, S., Kinet, J. M., & Bouharmont, J. (1996). NaCl-induced senescence in leaves of rice cultivars differing in salinity resistance. Annals of Botany, 78(3), 389–398.
https://doi.org/10.1006/anbo.1996.0134
[14]. Marschner, P. (Ed.). (2012). Marschner’s mineral nutrition of higher plants (3rd ed.). Academic Press.
[15]. Maxwell, K., & Johnson, G. N. (2000). Chlorophyll fluorescence—a practical guide. Journal of Experimental Botany, 51(345), 659–668. https://doi.org/10.1093/jexbot/51.345.659
[16]. Medrano, H., Tomás, M., & Martorell, S. (2015). Improving water use efficiency of vineyards in semi-arid regions. Plant Science, 238, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plantsci.
[17]. Munns, R., Passioura, J. B., Colmer, T. D., & Byrt, C. S. (2020). Osmotic adjustment and energy limitations to plant growth in saline soil. New Phytologist, 225(3), 1091–1096. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15862
[18]. Munns, R., & Tester, M. (2008). Mechanisms of salinity tolerance. Annual Review of Plant Biology, 59, 651–681. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.arplant.59.032607.092911
[19]. Murchie, E. H., & Lawson, T. (2013). Chlorophyll fluorescence analysis: A guide to good practice and understanding. Journal of Experimental Botany, 64(13), 3983–3998. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/ert208
[20]. Nowak, D. J., Hirabayashi, S., Bodine, A., & Greenfield, E. (2014). Tree and forest effects on air quality and human health in the United States. Environmental Pollution, 193, 119–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.
[21]. Rhoades, J. D. (1982). Soluble salts. In A. L. Page, R. H. Miller, & D. R. Keeney (Eds.), Methods of soil analysis: Part 2. Chemical and microbiological properties (2nd ed., Agronomy Monograph No. 9, pp. 167–179). American Society of Agronomy, Soil Science Society of America. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronmonogr9.2.2ed.c10
[22]. Shabala, S., & Pottosin, I. (2014). Regulation of potassium transport in plants under hostile conditions. Physiologia Plantarum, 151(3), 257–279. https://doi.org/10.1111/ppl.12165
[23]. Vazifeshenas, M. R., & Khayyat, M. (2009). Effects of different scion-rootstock combinations on vigor, tree size, yield and fruit quality of three Iranian cultivars of pomegranate. Fruits, 64(1), 47–51. https://doi.org/10.1051/fruits/2008058
[24]. Vazifeshenas, M. R., Moravej, B., & Alihory, M. (2024). Water efficiency in pomegranate and strategies for improving it (Publication No. 54). Horticultural Sciences Research Institute. [in Farsi]
[25]. Wang, M., Zheng, Q., Shen, Q., & Guo, S. (2013). The critical role of potassium in plant stress response. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 14(4), 7370–7390. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms14047370
[26]. White, P. J., & Broadley, M. R. (2003). Calcium in plants. Annals of Botany, 92(4),487–511. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcg164
 
Journal of Arid Biome
Volume 16, Issue 1
March 2026
Pages 141-151

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics