Integrating forest inventory and LiDAR observations to uncover the role of plant traits on cooling and humidifying effects in urban areas

1. Outdoor heat stress possesses significant health risks, contributing to thousands of premature deaths each summer. Urban greening has been widely recognized as a potential solution to mitigate this heat threat. However, the optimal way to maximize cooling effects from urban forest—specifically through the influences of plant leaf traits and canopy structure on local climate (temperature and humidity)—remains underexplored.
2. To address this issue, we combined traditional forest inventory methods with advanced LiDAR observations to assess 3,883 individual trees and 77 plant species in the urban forests of Shanghai during the summer of 2021. For all trees, we analyzed six leaf traits: nitrogen content, phosphorus content, potassium content, leaf area, specific leaf area, and leaf dry matter content. Additionally, three canopy structural characteristics—mean foliage height, foliage height diversity, and canopy coverage—were investigated. Near-surface air temperature and relative humidi..., , # Integrating forest inventory and LiDAR observations to uncover the role of plant traits on cooling and humidifying effects in urban areas

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.2z34tmpz7](10.5061/dryad.2z34tmpz7)

## Description of the data and file structure

**Study Area & Design**

This dataset was collected in **Shanghai, China** (subtropical monsoon climate) during summer 2021 to investigate the cooling and humidifying effects of urban forests. Six parks (44.5 ± 23.7 ha, >80% vegetation cover) and adjacent reference areas (impervious surfaces) were selected. Air temperature (AT) and relative humidity (RH) were measured via mobile transects at four time periods (morning to nighttime), with 1,334 data points across 34 plots (30×30 m).

**LiDAR & Field Measurements**

* **3D Forest Structure**: Integrated aerial (UAV) and terrestrial (hand-held) LiDAR data (6,000–7,000 pts/m²) were used to reconstruct canopy architecture (e.g., leaf area index, crown area) and segment 3,883 individual trees.
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