UpGreen tree stress map of Kuřim, Czech Republic, showing spatial distribution of tree stress levels across urban areas, streets, and river corridors based on satellite and aerial data analysis.

UpGreen
Tree Stress analysis

Tree Stress shows where urban conditions push trees beyond their comfort zone, even when they still look green. With UpGreen, you can pinpoint stress hotspots and target habitat improvements and care where they prevent decline and losses most effectively.

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Areas with the highest stress within the Lisbon municipality displayed in the 100m grid showing the average stress level of trees in each grid cell

Historic waterfront with colorful townhouses and moored boats along a canal, showing dense urban fabric, public waterfront space, and calm water surface.

References

Copenhagen (Denmark)
UpGreen analysed approximately 280 000 trees across the city. Results show that 99.5 % of large trees experience none or only low stress, while around 1 300 trees are exposed to high or extreme stress, mainly in Bispebjerg and Østerbro. These stressed trees are concentrated near dense traffic and sealed surfaces and require targeted habitat improvements to prevent decline.

Lisbon (Portugal)
The analysis covered 306 834 trees across 24 administrative units. Due to persistent summer heat and drought, Lisbon shows a generally high baseline stress level, with critical hotspots along major roads and coastal areas. Units such as Marvila and Olivais have more than 10 % of trees classified as vulnerable or endangered, and overall tree cooling and carbon sequestration are strongly limited by water stress.

Kuřim (Czech Republic)

In Kuřim, 16 916 trees within the municipal cadastre were analysed. The results reveal strong spatial differences in stress and vitality, with several urban units showing more than one third of trees in vulnerable or endangered categories. Stress patterns clearly reflect local conditions such as soil sealing, proximity to infrastructure and limited rooting space, making the outputs directly actionable for municipal maintenance planning.

Calculate Tree Stress

UpGreen: measuring tree health, equity and climate benefits. Tree by tree, citywide. Using satellite data.

UpGreen identifies and evaluates trees across the city using satellite data and advanced modelling. We map tree crowns and assess key indicators that determine whether your greenery is thriving, cooling the city, sequestering, or silently declining. For the price of 10 cents/one tree.

Modules: Tree Survival Capacity, Tree Stress analysis, Tree productivity + prediction, CO2 Sequestration, Tree Cooling Effect.

More about UpGreen

What is tree stress and how do we measure it?

Tree stress describes environmental conditions that exceed the optimal range for a given species. Short term stress can be buffered, but prolonged stress gradually reduces vitality, increases susceptibility to pathogens, and shortens lifespan.

In UpGreen, Tree Stress is assessed per tree crown as a composite index of three criteria with equal weights:

Long term drought stress using air humidity expressed as VPD (Vapor Pressure Deficit) and precipitation as a proxy of soil water availability.

Heat stress using land surface temperature (LST), if LST exceeds 40 C for at least 7 days during the main growing season, the tree is considered heat stressed.

Other urban stressors linked to roads and traffic approximated by distance to roads and traffic intensity, capturing pressures such as compaction, pollution, salinity, limited rooting space, and similar impacts.

Results are classified into None, Low, Moderate, High, Extreme based on the computed stress index.

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Map of Kuřim with grid analysis of vegetation and environmental stress. The colored squares represent stress levels ranging from none and low to moderate, high, and extreme stress. The highest stress is particularly evident in industrial areas and densely built-up parts of the city, while lower stress occurs in peripheral and greener areas. The map scale is 0–500 m.

Benefits (why should you know this?)

Find stress hotspots before visible decline

Stress mapping highlights locations where trees need to spend energy on coping rather than growth, which increases the likelihood of brittle wood and pathogen susceptibility.

Prioritize interventions with the highest impact

You can direct irrigation, soil improvement, decompaction, mulching, or traffic related protections to the places where stress is actually elevated.

Protect cooling and carbon benefits where they matter most
Instead of guessing where greenery will hold up under heat and drought pressure, you get a clear map based on observed vitality and measured stress drivers, ready for planning, budgeting, and project preparation.

Support risk based management and renewal planning

Stress is a key input for modules like Survival Capacity, which combine stress and productivity to identify vulnerable and endangered trees.

Get a defensible, city wide picture from consistent data

The method provides comparable results across neighborhoods and administrative units, supporting transparent decision making and budgeting.

What this service includes:

You receive decision ready deliverables that fit directly into city workflows:

GIS layers for Tree Survival Capacity: ready to use in your GIS and asset management processes.

GIS Tree Stress Analysis - individual tree segments
GIS Tree Stress Analysis - city wide grid
GIS Tree Stress Analysis - city units

A clear report: explaining methodology, key findings, and priority areas for action.

A map handbook: for internal alignment, stakeholder communication, and reporting.

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