Evaluating the Ecological Resilience of Urban Parks through Plant Tolerance Criteria: A Case Study from Samsun, Türkiye

Urban parks are key components of green infrastructure, yet their long-term functionality increasingly depends on the ecological tolerance of plant species under multiple environmental stressors. Evaluating plant tolerance traits can therefore support more resilient species selection and park management in cities affected by climate change. This study assessed the ecological tolerance characteristics of woody plant taxa in five urban parks in Samsun, located in the Central Black Sea Region of Türkiye. A total of 104 woody taxa were identified through repeated field surveys in Kurupelit Campus Park, Batı Park, Tekkeköy Park, Doğu Park, and Adnan Kahveci Park. Plant taxa were photographed, recorded in a park-based inventory, and evaluated for air pollution, drought, wind, salinity, heat, and cold tolerance using published literature and plant databases. Air pollution, drought, wind, and salinity were scored on a four-level ordinal scale, while heat and cold were evaluated as binary variables. Descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis H tests, Pearson’s chi-square tests, effect size calculations, and Principal Component Analysis were applied. The highest proportions of tolerant taxa were found for cold (77.9%), air pollution (77.2%), and heat (71.6%). In comparison, high tolerance was lower for drought (59.9%), wind (52.1%), and salinity (51.4%). No statistically significant inter-park differences were detected, and effect sizes were negligible, indicating broadly similar tolerance compositions. PCA identified two main gradients: abiotic stress tolerance and urban climatic stress tolerance. The findings provide practical criteria for integrating ecological tolerance into plant selection and climate-resilient urban park planning.