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eISSN: 2083-5906
ISSN: 1230-1485
ISSN: 1230-1485
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
A Case Study on Wind Damage Evaluation of
Common Tree Species in Coastal Urban Forests
1
Guangdong Province Data Center of Terrestrial and Marine Ecosystems Carbon Cycle, South China Botanical Garden,
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China
2
College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
3
College of Civil and Architecture Engineering, Chuzhou University, Chuzhou 239000, China
Submission date: 2025-12-24
Final revision date: 2026-03-04
Acceptance date: 2026-03-15
Online publication date: 2026-07-31
Corresponding author
Xu Li
Guangdong Province Data Center of Terrestrial and Marine Ecosystems Carbon Cycle, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China
Guangdong Province Data Center of Terrestrial and Marine Ecosystems Carbon Cycle, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China
Linhua Wang
Guangdong Province Data Center of Terrestrial and Marine Ecosystems Carbon Cycle, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China
Guangdong Province Data Center of Terrestrial and Marine Ecosystems Carbon Cycle, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Assessing the wind resistance of urban coastal trees is crucial for enhancing ecological security
in typhoon-vulnerable regions under climate change. This study conducted post-typhoon field
investigations in the wake of Typhoon Wipha in Yangjiang and Maoming, China, to evaluate damage
to 1,645 trees across 15 common species. Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), we developed
a weighted wind damage value (WDV) integrating uprooted (weight: 0.637), trunk broken (0.258),
and light-moderate damage (including broken branches and defoliation) (0.105). Results showed
that 26.50% of surveyed trees suffered typhoon damage. Casuarina equisetifolia L. (WDV = 2.20),
Camphora officinarum Nees (2.49), and Plumeria rubra L. (2.30) exhibited the strongest wind
resistance, whereas Ceiba speciosa (A.St.-Hil.) Ravenna (11.66), Cassia fistula L. (11.09), and Bauhinia
variegata L. (8.12) were most vulnerable. Functional trait analysis revealed that specific leaf area (SLA)
(r2 = 0 .59, p<0.01) and leaf force to punch (Fp) (r2 = 0 .82, p<0.01) were the key predictors of WDV.
These leaf-level traits mediate whole-tree wind damage through multi-level regulation of canopy wind
load, branch mechanical strength, and root-soil interactions. The integrated WDV and trait framework
provides a science-based tool for tree species selection and wind damage mitigation in typhoon-prone
urban forests, offering a baseline reference for climate-adaptive management in coastal cities with
similar environmental contexts.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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| eISSN: | 2083-5906 |
| ISSN: | 1230-1485 |
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