scholarly journals Yellowing of Norway spruce stands in the Silesian Beskids – damage extent and dynamics

2008 ◽  
Vol 54 (No. 2) ◽  
pp. 55-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Šrámek ◽  
M. Vejpustková ◽  
R. Novotný ◽  
K. Hellebrandová

In recent years, the Czech part of the Silesian Beskids has been affected by strong yellowing of Norway spruce stands and gradual decline of individual trees. Similar damage has also been observed in the neighbouring parts of Poland and Slovakia. The article presents the results of an investigation in the Forest District Jablunkov – part Nýdek. To evaluate the situation, monitoring plots were established and a regional survey was carried out together with tree-ring analysis. The results show a mosaic distribution of damage in the region studied, independent of the altitude and forest type. Defoliation was lower in 20–40 years old stands. Even these young classes, however, show yellowing symptoms. The decline of stands started to be visible at the end of the 1990s; significant loss of vitality was observed in the most affected stands in 2003, after an extremely hot and dry vegetation period. Actual development of meteorological conditions plays an important role in the stand damage. Lastly, possible causes of damage and further development are discussed.

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oskars Krisans ◽  
Roberts Matisons ◽  
Steffen Rust ◽  
Natalija Burnevica ◽  
Lauma Bruna ◽  
...  

Storms are the main abiotic disturbance in European forests, effects of which are expected to intensify in the future, hence the importance of forest stand stability is increasing. The predisposition of Norway spruce to wind damage appears to be enhanced by pathogens such as Heterobasidion spp., which reduce stability of individual trees. However, detailed information about the effects of the root rot on the stability of individual trees across diverse soil types is still lacking. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of root rot on the individual tree stability of Norway spruce growing on drained peat and mineral soils. In total, 77 Norway spruce trees (age 50–80 years) growing in four stands were tested under static loading. The presence of Heterobasidion spp. had a significant negative effect on the bending moment at primary and secondary failure of the tested trees irrespectively of soil type. This suggests increased legacy effects (e.g., susceptibility to pathogens and pests due to fractured roots and altered water uptake) of storms. Damaged trees act as weak spots increasing the susceptibility of stands to wind damage, thus forming a negative feedback loop and contributing to an ongoing decline in vitality of Norway spruce stands following storms in the study region in the future. Accordingly, the results support the importance of timely identification of the decayed trees, lowering stand density and/or shortening rotation period as the measures to counteract the increasing effects of storms on Norway spruce stands.


2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 1767-1778 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuula Jaakkola ◽  
Harri Mäkinen ◽  
Pekka Saranpää

The effect of thinning intensity on growth and wood density in Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) was investigated in two long-term thinning experiments in southeastern Finland. The stands were approaching maturity, and their development had already been studied for 30 years. The intensities of thinning were low, normal, and high (i.e., the stand basal area after the thinning was, on average, 40, 27, and 24 m2·ha–1, respectively, in Heinola, and 30, 28, and 17 m2·ha–1 in Punkaharju, respectively). Compared with the low thinning intensity, the normal and high thinning intensities increased the basal-area increment of individual trees by 52% and 68%, respectively. Normal and high thinning intensities resulted in a relatively small reduction (1%–4%) of mean ring density compared with low thinning intensity. The random variation in wood density between and within trees was large. About 27% of the total variation in wood density was related to variation between rings. Our results indicate that the prevailing thinning intensities in Norway spruce stands in Fennoscandia cause no marked changes in wood density. At least, the possible reduction in wood density is low compared with the increase in individual tree growth.


2014 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 214-222
Author(s):  
Štěpán Křístek ◽  
Jaroslav Holuša

Abstract In the case study from the basin of the Šance reservoir in the Moravian-Silesian Beskids, we examined the differences in the extent of damage in individual winter seasons and differences in the quantity of snow in individual situations. The intensity of damage to predominantly spruce stands was evaluated as the ratio of the number of individual trees damaged in the particular season to the total number of trees in the study plots. The quantity of snow was measured using quantitative parameters of snow cover. The objective of this paper was to describe model scenarios characterised by the expected intensity of stand damage corresponding to the course of winter expressed in quantitative parameters of snow cover on the base of similar/dissimilar situations. Individual winter seasons were thoroughly described in the results. The output is the description of three model scenarios with different intensities of stand damage that differ in the measured values of snow quantity


2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (No. 11) ◽  
pp. 469-474
Author(s):  
I. Čaňová

This paper presents the first results of chlorophyll fluorescence measurements on assimilatory apparatus of Norway spruce. Three young spruce stands located in various altitudes (600, 1,050 and 1,250 m above sea level) were selected for the measurements. Chlorophyll fluorescence a was measured by a portable fluorimeter PEA. These measurements were performed on three needle year-classes. We found greater stand damage on the areas which are located in higher altitudes, but only at the end of growing season.  


2002 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 161-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Heitzman ◽  
Adrian G. Grell

Abstract In Maine and adjacent eastern Canadian provinces, cut-to-length harvesting has emerged as an ecologically attractive method of thinning conifer plantations and natural stands. Yet regional information on the extent of residual stand damage associated with this system is lacking. Eight naturally regenerated red spruce (Picea rubens) stands in northern Maine were studied; all stands were thinned in 1997–1998 with a processor and forwarder combination. Field methods consisted of examining individual trees near forwarder trails for bole damage and measuring the size and aboveground height of individual wounds. The frequency of trees damaged in each stand ranged from 25–46%. The four sites with the highest pre- and post-cut tree densities generally had the greatest number of damaged trees. Trees located along forwarder trails were more frequently damaged than nontrailside trees. The average individual wound size ranged from 2.6–8.7 in.2; 82–98% of the wounds in each stand were less than or equal to 10 in.2 in size. Usually, wounds on trailside trees were not significantly larger than wounds on nontrailside trees. Regardless of tree location, most wounds were located 3–6 ft above ground level.


Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 841
Author(s):  
Iveta Desaine ◽  
Annija Kārkliņa ◽  
Roberts Matisons ◽  
Anna Pastare ◽  
Andis Adamovičs ◽  
...  

The increased removal of forest-derived biomass with whole-tree harvesting (WTH) has raised concerns about the long-term productivity and sustainability of forest ecosystems. If true, this effect needs to be factored in the assessment of long-term feasibility to implement such a drastic forest management measure. Therefore, the economic performance of five experimental plantations in three different forest types, where in 1971 simulated WTH event occurred, was compared with pure, planted and conventionally managed (CH) Norway spruce stands of similar age and growing conditions. Potential incomes of CH and WTH stands were based on timber prices for period 2014–2020. However, regarding the economics of root and stump biomass utilization, they were not included in the estimates. In any given price level, the difference of internal rate of return between the forest types and selected managements were from 2.5% to 6.2%. Therefore, Norway spruce stands demonstrate good potential of independence regardless of stump removal at the previous rotation.


Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 163
Author(s):  
Jan Světlík ◽  
Jan Krejza ◽  
Pavel Bednář

Tree growth depends on many factors such as microsite conditions, vitality, and variations in climate and genetics. It is generally accepted that higher growth indicates both an economic benefit and better vitality of any tree. Here we use a modified approach of evaluating tree social area to study mutual tree competition based on the orientation and shape of trees social area. The investigation was performed in nine Norway spruce stands in the Czech Republic. The objective of this study performed from 2008 to 2012 was to quantify relative tree radial increments with respect to the lowest and highest competition found in specific sectors of tree social area (AS). Specific groups of trees (tree classes) were evaluated according to their classes (dominant, co-dominant and sub-dominant) and their composition status in ninety-degree sectors of AS using established classifying rules. The results showed that a spatially-available area (AA) is an inappropriate parameter for predicting tree growth, whereas AS provided robust explanatory power to predict relative radial growth. Tree size was observed as an important indicator of relative radial increments. A significantly positive correlation was found for a radial increment of sub-dominant trees with the lowest competition from western directions; whereas a negative correlation was observed when the lowest competition was observed from eastern directions. For dominant trees, there was an evident growth reaction only when more than 50% of the AS was oriented towards one of the cardinal points. Individual differences in the orientation of tree AS may be important parameters with regard to competition and its spatial variability within an area surrounding a particular tree and deserve more detailed attention in tree growth models and practice.


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