Abstract Managing tree health in urban environments is complicated due to the disconnect that exists between novel environmental conditions created by urbanization and those under which tree species evolved. Soils influence tree health and growth, but optimal nutrient and pH recommendations are often informed by agricultural and horticultural norms which do not typically include norms for forest tree species. At the Arnold Arboretum in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, we investigated the relationships between tree health, foliar chemistry, and soil chemistry for three native forest tree species (Acer saccharum, Quercus alba, and Tsuga canadensis) located throughout the arboretum. We compared these ranges and relationships to data collected from trees of the same species growing in forested areas throughout the northeastern United States. For all species, the distributions of most foliar nutrient concentrations were similar in the arboretum and across the region. However, foliar potassium (K) concentrations were lower at the arboretum than in reference datasets. Soil pH was higher at the arboretum than most forest soils in the region, potentially a result of liming and irrigation with city water. Concentrations of soil and foliar magnesium were also high at the arboretum. Potassium deficiency could result from the blocking of K uptake by magnesium or limited K availability due to forest floor loss. In addition, there is some evidence that manganese is at low to deficient levels. These results show the value of comparing chemical conditions between urban tree populations with trees in natural forests in nearby rural settings to identify potential areas of concern and inform soil management strategies.

中文翻译：

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使用区域森林营养数据为美国东北部的城市树木管理提供信息

摘要 由于城市化创造的新环境条件与树种进化的环境条件之间存在脱节，因此管理城市环境中的树木健康是复杂的。土壤会影响树木的健康和生长，但最佳养分和 pH 值建议通常来自农业和园艺规范，这些规范通常不包括森林树种规范。在美国马萨诸塞州波士顿的阿诺德植物园，我们调查了位于整个植物园的三种本地森林树种（Acer saccharum、Quercus alba 和 Tsuga canadensis）的树木健康、叶面化学和土壤化学之间的关系。我们将这些范围和关系与从美国东北部森林地区生长的相同物种的树木收集的数据进行了比较。对于所有物种，大多数叶面养分浓度在植物园和整个地区的分布相似。然而，植物园的叶面钾 (K) 浓度低于参考数据集。树木园的土壤 pH 值高于该地区的大多数森林土壤，这可能是石灰和城市用水灌溉的结果。植物园中土壤和叶面镁的浓度也很高。钾缺乏可能是由于镁阻碍了钾的吸收或由于森林地面损失导致钾的可用性有限。此外，有一些证据表明锰处于低到不足的水平。