The responses of crop and tree species to future elevated [CO2], temperature and drought stress

Climate change offers particular challenges to sessile organisms such as plants that have to rely upon phenotypic adaptation to respond to higher temperatures, increased [CO2] and more frequent / severe drought. Climate change poses a severe challenge to food security via the maintenance of crop production and the sustainability of ecosystem services provided by urban trees and forests. This thesis has attempted to understand and address some of these challenges by studying the physiological, morphological and biochemical responses of different species / varieties of crops and Mediterranean urban trees to increased temperature, elevated [CO2] and drought. Indeed, the selection of crop varieties and urban tree species with desirable phenotypic responses to these conditions is a key component in efforts to mitigate the negative impact of climate change on agricultural services and urban environment.