How do urban trees vary across India? a comparative analysis across ten Indian cities

The present study was conducted to examine the variation in dominant tree species richness, composition, green cover per capita, tree-species traits, and ecosystem services to understand the similarity in urban tree distribution across 10 Indian cities.We compiled a list of 226 dominant tree species across all 10 cities.The cities showed a maximum similarity in urban tree flora of 56% (Sorenson's index), the lowest being 19%.All cities displayed the dominance of faster-growing species.We emphasise that a good mix of native vs exotic and diversity of traits would make the urban landscapes more resilient and resistant under unpredictable climatic conditions.