Trees in cities provide multiple ecosystem services. However, simultaneously ensuring healthy trees with high habitat di-versity can be challenging in a harsh urban environment. We compared health, microhabitats, and bat activities between native (Quercus roburL.) and non-native (Quercus rubraL.) oaks growing in different urban habitats (street vs. park) in Karlsruhe, southwestern Germany. We randomly selected 167 oak trees with a diameter at breast height (DBH)>20 cm across the city from Urban Tree Registrar. We performed tree health assessment, dendrometric, and microhabitatinventory. We recorded the four-day bat activities on 45 native and non-native oaks with acoustic loggers installed on thetrees. We found that non-native oaks were healthier than native oaks but provided less abundance and richness of micro-habitats. Tree size (positive effect) and pruning (negative effect) strongly influence microhabitat richness and abundance.In addition, park trees hosted significantly more microhabitats than street trees. We recorded the activities of 9 bat speciesfrom 4 genera.Pipistrellusbats were more active in park trees than street trees. Long-eared bats (Plecotus)weremoreactivenear the native than non-native oaks. Bats are likely favored bymicrohabitatssuchasforksplit, lightning scar, and wood-peckerflutethat are more common in less healthy trees. We conclude that non-native red oak can be planted alongsidestreets, where the conditions are harsher than in parks to better adapt to climatic changes and stay healthy with less main-tenance. The preservation of native pedunculate oak trees, especially within parks, is paramount for urban biodiversity conservation because of their potential to provide microhabitats and supporting bats
Laux, M; Lv, HL; Entling, MH; Schirmel, J; Narang, A; Koehler, M; Saha, S
Native pedunculate oaks support more biodiversity than non-native oaks, but non-native oaks are healthier than native oaks: A study on street and park trees of a city br
Science Of The Total Environment