Over a 4-year investigation period we studied the effects of more or less intense pruning on short-term diameter growth and stem form of trees in avenues and parks. While a low degree of pruning hardly has any effect on diameter growth, a high degree of pruning leads to a loss of diameter growth and cylindricality. A high degree of pruning, directly effects assimilation capacity, thereby reducing foliage area and indirectly disturbs internal physiological processes.