Downscaling of ecophysiological observations from natural communities to urban trees

Knowledge about ecophysiological attitudes at tree level is basic for a correct knowledge of the performance of each species in different environments, and for the comprehension of the mitigation and compensation aspects that urban vegetation may exert. Data on photosynthesis and stomata conductance may be obtained from measurements at single leaf level, but their upscaling to plant level is very complex, due to the needs of considering light extinction patterns within complex canopies, and all the other regulatory physiological and physical factors. This paper starts from the opposite direction: scaling down information about single trees photosynthesis from data collected at stand level. Keywords: CO exchange flux, ecophysiology, urban vegetation, urban green planning.