20.500.12556/RUL-168223 An evaluation of the stormwater runoff reduction of two distinct tree species to support urban greening as nature-based solutions Trees, as a vital element of urban greening, have been increasingly recognized for their hydrologic contributions to stormwater management. However, the representation of tree canopy hydrological processes is often simplified or overlooked in existing stormwater models. This study modelled and evaluated the stormwater runoff reduction potential of birch (Betula pendula) and pine (Pinus nigra) trees in three scenarios (i.e., birch, pine, and mixed planting) on a storm event basis using the updated Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) tree canopy module. The model effectively represents the rainfall interception process of both tree species during different phenoseasons, demonstrating strong correlations between simulated and observed throughfall (r = 0.97–0.99) and interception values (r = 0.72) across all storm events. The results indicate that implementing urban trees in the study area led to an average reduction of 20–25 % in runoff volume and 16–25 % in peak flow, depending on the scenarios and phenoseasons. The most significant runoff reduction benefits were observed in a mixed-species planting scenario and during the leafed season. This interplay between species highlights the advantages of mixed-species plantings in urban environments, where diverse tree characteristics can enhance hydrological performance. However, the effectiveness of trees is limited during intense, high-volume storm events, although they still provide tangible benefits of up to 13.2 % reduction. The relative contribution of canopy interception to runoff reduction is most pronounced during the leafed season, small to moderate storm events, and when trees are situated over directly connected impervious areas. Infiltration and storage beneath tree canopies are the dominant mechanism for managing and reducing surface runoff, accounting for over 20 % of the water balance. This study demonstrates that the stormwater reduction efficiency of urban trees depends on both above- and below-canopy processes and conditions. birch pine heavy rainfall stormwater SWMM tree canopy urban greening urban trees surface runoff natural solutions interception hydrological modelling measurements rainfall interception runoff površinski odtok naravne rešitve prestrezanje padavin hidrološko modeliranje meritve hidrologija true false true Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik Članek v reviji 2025-04-03 09:31:02 2025-04-03 09:31:08 2025-04-04 04:00:59 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2025 0 0 17 str. Vol. 107, art. 128792 2025 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 502/504:556 1618-8667 10.1016/j.ufug.2025.128792 231188995 1-s2.0-S1618866725001268-main.pdf 1-s2.0-S1618866725001268-main.pdf 1 33A3BB161CA40B7A237C1BAB4316C54A 43063f85d9484e892c5e9a19af65fed0cde596731b1a34c46c8bd825a14203ca 9bb64cd3-105d-11f0-b232-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=201342 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1618866725001268 0 e09f4579-105c-11f0-b232-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=201341 Fakulteta za gradbeništvo in geodezijo 0 0 0