URBAN FORESTRY AND BUILT ENVIRONMENTS. THE CITY-OASIS MODEL AND ITS SUSTAINABILITY IN AN ARID ZONES

MARTINEZ, C. F.; CANTÓN, M. A.; ROIG F. A.

Conferencia; 5º International EcoSummit 2016 Ecological Sustainability: Engineering Change; 2016

The environmental sustainability of themodel of city-oasis of Mendoza, Argentina, is basedon the presence of an intense urban forestry associated with an irrigationsystem. Given the geographical condition of the site, under arid climate oflimited rainfall, the limiting factor for growth of the forest matrix is thewater resource. The irregularity in the frequency of irrigation and itsavailability allow conditions of water stress affecting longevity andpermanence of the urban forest, threatening the sustainability of the urban andbuilt environment quality. The objective of this study is to assess the degreeof tolerance to water stress of frequent forest species in Mendoza urban forest - Acacia visco and Platanushispanica - to apply management strategies to ensure their presence in theurban environment and the corresponding contributions to the urban model. Themethodology included the development of an experimental approach consisting ofa controlled irrigation test under greenhouse conditions, applied to youngforest for three growing seasons. The results showed consistent growthresponses to the differential volumes of water applied, which variedstatistically between species and treatment according to ANOVA applied. Bothspecies had lower growth under severe water stress without showing significantdifferences under moderate water stress. P.hispanica were relatively sensitive to water stress, while A. Visco, anative of the region, was more tolerant and showed a better degree ofadaptation to the resource deficit. This enables its recommendation as analternative replacement to built environments of cities in drylands, or theincorporation of new afforestations, to ensure long-term achievement of thesustainability of the city-oasis.