scholarly journals Air Pollution and Forest Health: Establishing Cause and Effect in the Forest

2001 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 391-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
William J. Manning
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Bark Beetles ◽  
Forest Health ◽  
Abies Alba ◽  
Permanent Plots ◽  
Tree Decline ◽  
Crown Condition ◽  
Planted Forests ◽  
Carpathian Mountains ◽  
Crown Defoliation

I participated in a NATO Advanced Research Workshop titled “Effects of Air Pollution on Forest Health and Biodiversity in Forests of the Carpathian Mountains,” in Stara Lesna, Slovakia from May 22–26, 2001. Researchers from Canada, Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine, and the U.S. met to present their results from a three-year cooperative study of tree health and air quality monitoring in forests of the Carpathian Mountains in Central Europe. Much of the work reported related to assessing the crown condition of trees in permanent plots in natural or managed (planted) forests in the mountains. The endpoint was tree condition, with results extrapolated to the forests in the Carpathian range. From this I learned that, of the 50,000 trees evaluated, European beech (Fagus sylvatica) was the most healthy, while Norway spruce (Picea abies) (the principal forest tree) and white fir (Abies alba) sustained crown defoliation of up to 12.8%. The cause of this crown defoliation and tree decline was usually attributed to “air pollution” as a generic term and an automatic assumption. It is well known that deposition of heavy metals and acidic sulfur and nitrogen compounds can cause tree decline and predispose affected trees to bark beetles and climatic damage. Chemical analyses can also be done to detect metals and sulfur compounds in trees and soils. Sometimes these analyses were done, but most often the assumption was that crown defoliation was caused by air pollution. The assumption was that given sufficient exposure to high enough concentrations of toxic elements, sooner or later there will be a visible adverse response.

scholarly journals Earth Observation Based Monitoring of Forests in Germany: A Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (21) ◽  
pp. 3570
Author(s):  
Stefanie Holzwarth ◽  
Frank Thonfeld ◽  
Sahra Abdullahi ◽  
Sarah Asam ◽  
Emmanuel Da Ponte Canova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bark Beetles ◽  
Heat Waves ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Forest Health ◽  
Earth Observation ◽  
Forest Monitoring ◽  
Forest Damage ◽  
Weather Extremes ◽  
Crown Condition ◽  
The Government

Forests in Germany cover around 11.4 million hectares and, thus, a share of 32% of Germany’s surface area. Therefore, forests shape the character of the country’s cultural landscape. Germany’s forests fulfil a variety of functions for nature and society, and also play an important role in the context of climate levelling. Climate change, manifested via rising temperatures and current weather extremes, has a negative impact on the health and development of forests. Within the last five years, severe storms, extreme drought, and heat waves, and the subsequent mass reproduction of bark beetles have all seriously affected Germany’s forests. Facing the current dramatic extent of forest damage and the emerging long-term consequences, the effort to preserve forests in Germany, along with their diversity and productivity, is an indispensable task for the government. Several German ministries have and plan to initiate measures supporting forest health. Quantitative data is one means for sound decision-making to ensure the monitoring of the forest and to improve the monitoring of forest damage. In addition to existing forest monitoring systems, such as the federal forest inventory, the national crown condition survey, and the national forest soil inventory, systematic surveys of forest condition and vulnerability at the national scale can be expanded with the help of a satellite-based earth observation. In this review, we analysed and categorized all research studies published in the last 20 years that focus on the remote sensing of forests in Germany. For this study, 166 citation indexed research publications have been thoroughly analysed with respect to publication frequency, location of studies undertaken, spatial and temporal scale, coverage of the studies, satellite sensors employed, thematic foci of the studies, and overall outcomes, allowing us to identify major research and geoinformation product gaps.

Using crown condition variables as indicators of forest health

2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 1057-1070 ◽  
Author(s):  
S J Zarnoch ◽  
W A Bechtold ◽  
K W Stolte
Keyword(s):  
Surface Area ◽  
Production Efficiency ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Forest Health ◽  
Tree Level ◽  
Permanent Plots ◽  
Tree Crown ◽  
Crown Condition ◽  
Distributional Properties ◽  
Crown Volume

Indicators of forest health used in previous studies have focused on crown variables analyzed individually at the tree level by summarizing over all species. This approach has the virtue of simplicity but does not account for the three-dimensional attributes of a tree crown, the multivariate nature of the crown variables, or variability among species. To alleviate these difficulties, we define composite crown indicators based on geometric principles to better quantify the entire tree crown. These include crown volume, crown surface area, and crown production efficiency. These indicators were then standardized to a mean of 0 and variance of 1 to enable direct comparison among species. Residualized indicators, which can also be standardized, were defined as the deviation from a regression model that adjusted for tree and plot conditions. Distributional properties were examined for the three composite crown indicators and their standardized-residualized counterparts for 6167 trees from 250 permanent plots distributed across Virginia, Georgia, and Alabama. Comparisons between the composite crown indicators and their associated standardized residual indicators revealed that only two or three plots were jointly classified as poor by both when thresholds were set at the lower 5 percentiles of statistical distributions. In contrast, 19-21 other plots were classified differently, emphasizing that different aspects of crown condition are being summarized when the raw values are adjusted and standardized. Generally, crown volume and crown surface area behaved similarly, while crown production efficiency was substantially different.

scholarly journals Waldzustand in der Schweiz: Erfassung, Entwicklung und Einflussfaktoren

2012 ◽  
Vol 163 (9) ◽  
pp. 331-342
Author(s):  
Matthias Dobbertin ◽  
Christian Hug ◽  
Lorenz Walthert
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Nitrogen Deposition ◽  
Tree Growth ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Crown Condition ◽  
Forest Condition ◽  
Crown Defoliation ◽  
Negative Effect

Forest condition in Switzerland: assessment, development and influencing factors In the early 1980s it was feared that air pollution would cause a widespread forest decline and a reduction in forest productivity. In Switzerland as in most European countries crown defoliation and foliage discoloration were selected as the most important indicators of forest condition. The Sanasilva inventory on a systematic network of plots showed an increase in the proportion of trees with high defoliation until 1995. Since then no trend has been detected. However, large annual fluctuations were often observed following years with large-scale climatic events, such as the storms Vivian and Lothar and the heat summer of 2003. Although highly variable, neither mortality nor removal rates have shown any time trend since 1985. The annual differences in crown defoliation, mortality and tree growth are mainly related to climatic factors. In addition to the climatic conditions, nutrient availability, soil water holding capacity and to a lesser extent air pollution determine the degree of crown defoliation at a given site and for a given species. Although several studies have found a negative effect of nitrogen deposition or ozone concentrations on tree foliation, others have shown that up to now nitrogen deposition has increased tree growth on nitrogen-limited sites. It can thus be concluded that presently air pollution does not pose a direct threat to tree conditions in Switzerland. However, the assessment of crown condition alone is not a suitable tool to detect the effects of air pollution on forests. This requires more detailed measurements on long-term research sites. However, as crown condition is strongly affected by site conditions and climate, it should be further monitored, particularly with regard to the predicted climate change.

scholarly journals Impact of Industrial Pollution on Radial Growth of Conifers in a Former Mining Area in the Eastern Carpathians (Northern Romania)

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 640
Author(s):  
Cristian Gheorghe Sidor ◽  
Radu Vlad ◽  
Ionel Popa ◽  
Anca Semeniuc ◽  
Ecaterina Apostol ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Industrial Pollution ◽  
Radial Growth ◽  
Abies Alba ◽  
Mining Operation ◽  
Mining Area ◽  
Silver Fir ◽  
Local Pollution ◽  
Eastern Carpathians ◽  
The Impact

The research aims to evaluate the impact of local industrial pollution on radial growth in affected Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) and silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) stands in the Tarnița study area in Suceava. For northeastern Romania, the Tarnița mining operation constituted a hotspot of industrial pollution. The primary processing of non-ferrous ores containing heavy metals in the form of complex sulfides was the main cause of pollution in the Tarnița region from 1968 to 1990. Air pollution of Tarnița induced substantial tree growth reduction from 1978 to 1990, causing a decline in tree health and vitality. Growth decline in stands located over 6 km from the pollution source was weaker or absent. Spruce trees were much less affected by the phenomenon of local pollution than fir trees. We analyzed the dynamics of resilience indices and average radial growth indices and found that the period in which the trees suffered the most from local pollution was between 1978 and 1984. Growth recovery of the intensively polluted stand was observed after the 1990s when the environmental condition improved because of a significant reduction in air pollution.

scholarly journals Tree Vitality and Forest Health: Can Tree-Ring Stable Isotopes Be Used as Indicators?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Cherubini ◽  
Giovanna Battipaglia ◽  
John L. Innes
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Tree Ring ◽  
Forest Decline ◽  
Forest Health ◽  
Stress Factors ◽  
Tree Vitality ◽  
The Past ◽  
Physiological Processes

Abstract Purpose of Review Society is concerned about the long-term condition of the forests. Although a clear definition of forest health is still missing, to evaluate forest health, monitoring efforts in the past 40 years have concentrated on the assessment of tree vitality, trying to estimate tree photosynthesis rates and productivity. Used in monitoring forest decline in Central Europe since the 1980s, crown foliage transparency has been commonly believed to be the best indicator of tree condition in relation to air pollution, although annual variations appear more closely related to water stress. Although crown transparency is not a good indicator of tree photosynthesis rates, defoliation is still one of the most used indicators of tree vitality. Tree rings have been often used as indicators of past productivity. However, long-term tree growth trends are difficult to interpret because of sampling bias, and ring width patterns do not provide any information about tree physiological processes. Recent Findings In the past two decades, tree-ring stable isotopes have been used not only to reconstruct the impact of past climatic events, such as drought, but also in the study of forest decline induced by air pollution episodes, and other natural disturbances and environmental stress, such as pest outbreaks and wildfires. They have proven to be useful tools for understanding physiological processes and tree response to such stress factors. Summary Tree-ring stable isotopes integrate crown transpiration rates and photosynthesis rates and may enhance our understanding of tree vitality. They are promising indicators of tree vitality. We call for the use of tree-ring stable isotopes in future monitoring programmes.

scholarly journals Managing bark beetle outbreaks (Ips typographus, Dendroctonus spp.) in conservation areas in the 21st century

2016 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. 352-357
Author(s):  
Dominik Kulakowski
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Bark Beetle ◽  
Bark Beetles ◽  
Tree Mortality ◽  
Forest Health ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Timber Production ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Silvicultural Treatments ◽  
Social Scientific

Abstract Forests in Europe and North America are being affected by large and severe outbreaks of bark beetles, which have caused widespread concern about forest health and have led to proposals for tree removal in affected or susceptible forests. Any such intervention, as well as broader decisions of whether any active interventions are appropriate, should be based on the best scientific data. This is true for all forests, including those whose purposes include timber production, watershed protection, biogeochemical function and recreation, and especially protected and conservation areas as the latter often provide particularly unique and important cultural, social, scientific and other ecosystem services. Here, I summarize peer-reviewed literature on the effects of bark beetle outbreaks and on silvicultural treatments aimed at mitigating beetle-induced tree mortality. From an objective scientific perspective, beetle outbreaks do not destroy forests. Instead, in many cases they play an important role in promoting wildlife, biodiversity and other ecological services. The best available data indicate that logging in conservation areas is unlikely to stop ongoing bark beetle outbreaks and instead may be more ecologically detrimental to the forests than the outbreaks themselves. If the purpose of a forest is timber production, then logging is desirable and can be planned based on appropriate analyses of timber yield and economic profit. However, in areas in which conservation is the determined goal, it is recommended that cutting trees be limited to removing hazards, such as trees that might fall in areas of high human activity in order to limit property damage and personal injury. Based on extensive research in Europe and North America, logging beetle-affected forests is inconsistent with most conservation goals.

scholarly journals Parameters of Pinus sylvestris health condition and Ips acuminatus population in pure and mixed stands of Sumy region

2020 ◽  
pp. 131-140
Author(s):  
Valentyna Meshkova ◽  
Ivan Bobrov
Keyword(s):  
Scots Pine ◽  
Bark Beetles ◽  
Forest Health ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
State Enterprise ◽  
Forest Steppe ◽  
Population Parameters ◽  
Mixed Stands ◽  
Pine Stands ◽  
Scots Pine Stands

Outbreaks of bark beetles have increased in recent years in various regions. Pine engraver beetle (Ips acuminatus (Gyllenhal, 1827); Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) is most common in the pine forests of many European countries. Research on its biology and spread carried out in different natural conditions, phases of pest outbreak and considered various parameters to characterize the population of the pest and forest health condition. The aim of the research was to compare the health condition of Scots pine stands and population parameters of I. acuminatus in its two generations in pure and mixed stands in Polissya and Forest-steppe parts of Sumy region. Research was carried out in 2017 in the pure Scots pine stands and mixed stands with Scots pine and other forest species in Polissya (State Enterprise "Seredyno-Budsky Agroforest Economy"; State Enterprise "Seredyno-Budsky Forest Economy") and Forest-steppe parts (State Enterprise "Velykopysarivske Agroforest Economy"; State Enterprise "Okhtyrske Forest Economy") of Sumy region at 26 sample plots. In sample plots, parameters of forest health condition and bark beetle population were assessed in June and in September, after completion of development of spring and summer generation of I. acuminatus.  By most of the parameters assessed, significant differences between sample plots in Forest-Steppe and Polissya parts of Sumy region were not found. In pure Scots pine stands the mean area of bark beetles’ foci and bark beetles’ production were larger in Forest-steppe in June, and the density of Ips acuminatus nuptial chambers in June and September. In pure Scots pine stands the area of I. acuminatus focus, the number of colonized trees, the proportion of recently died trees, health condition indices, the density of egg galleries and nuptial chambers as well as young beetle’s production increased from June to September. In mixed stands the focus area, the number of colonized trees and health condition index increased insignificantly, and population parameters of I. acuminatus decreased from June to September. Pure Scots pine stands changed the health condition from "severely weakened" to "drying up" in three months, and mixed ones remained in the "weakened" category. In pure pine stands, the density of egg galleries and beetles of the young generation increased for three months from the lower limit of a moderate level to a high level, the density of nuptial chambers – from low to a high level. In mixed stands, all population parameters of I. acuminatus correspond to a low population level. The parameters characterizing the investigated foci of I. acuminatus in the Sumy region significantly correlated with the participation of pine in the stand composition, and in September the correlation is closer than in June. The data obtained indicate the feasibility of creating predominantly mixed pine stands.

scholarly journals Analysis of the vitality of the Agathis dammara tree at Situ Gunung Resort, Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park

2021 ◽  
Vol 912 (1) ◽  
pp. 012071
Author(s):  
I R Maulana ◽  
Rahmat Safe’i ◽  
Siti Fauzia Rochmah
Keyword(s):  
Health Status ◽  
National Park ◽  
Health Assessment ◽  
Forest Health ◽  
Crown Condition ◽  
Tree Damage ◽  
Damage Level ◽  
A Value ◽  
Crown Density ◽  
Lower Stem

Abstract Vitality is the vigor value of the trees in responding to environmental conditions. Determined vitality value was by calculating tree damage and crown condition. The Agathis dammara tree is a native Indonesian plant in the Situ Gunung Resort, Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park (TNGGP). This study aims to determine the vitality and value of the health status of Agathis dammara trees at Situ Gunung Resort, TNGGP. The research location is in the utilization zone at the Situ Gunung Resort, TNGGP, covering an area of 700 haBuilt observation plots based on the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) cluster plot design as many as nine cluster plots. They have calculated tree damage based on the location where found the damage was in the FHM method. Calculated condition canopy based on five parameters visual crown. Assessment of tree health status uses a forest health assessment information system. The results showed that the location where found the most damage was at the root and lower stem (code 2) as many as 67 trees, dominated by liana damage (code 20) as many as 43 trees, with an average damage level of 35%. The live crown ratio 20-35%, crown density 25-50%, foliage transparency 50-70%, crown diameter 2.5-10 m, and dieback 0-5%. The value of the health status of the Agathis dammara tree has a value of 1.69-2.44. Thus, these conditions illustrate that the vitality and value of the health status of Agathis dammara trees at Situ Gunung Resort, TNGGP are in the medium criteria and category.

Ice damage impacts on the health of the northern New York State forest

2001 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. 619-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul D. Manion ◽  
David H. Griffin ◽  
Benjamin D. Rubin
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New York State ◽  
Forest Health ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Ice Storm ◽  
Red Maple ◽  
Severe Damage ◽  
Crown Condition ◽  
White Pine ◽  
York State

Detailed crown condition information, including numbers of broken branches ≥ 5 cm diameter, broken tops, and healthy branches, were recorded for 5434 living trees > 9 cm dbh from 603 ten-basal-area-factor prism plots (three per forest stand) at 201 random points (stands) throughout the ice damage region of northern New York State. Twenty five percent of the sample stands had ≥ 20% branch breakage. Bigtooth aspen, red oak, red maple, and white pine had the most breakage. Comparison of potential mortality of trees associated with ≥ 75% ice damage (severe damage) to baseline (predicted) mortality to maintain the existing forest structure suggests that ice damage may alter the health of 18% of the forest stands but this is not sufficient to alter the health (sustainability) of the larger forest system. Key words: ice storm, forest health, sustainability, growth, mortality, dbh classes

Relationships between soil chemistry, foliar chemistry, and condition of red spruce at Mount Moosilauke, New Hampshire

1990 ◽  
Vol 20 (8) ◽  
pp. 1219-1227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas G. Huntington ◽  
David R. Peart ◽  
James Hornig ◽  
Douglas F. Ryan ◽  
Stuart Russo-Savage
Keyword(s):  
New Hampshire ◽  
Red Spruce ◽  
Permanent Plots ◽  
Good Growth ◽  
Foliar Chemistry ◽  
Crown Condition ◽  
Vegetation Zone ◽  
P Deficiency ◽  
Element Concentrations ◽  
Foliar Concentration

We measured soil chemical properties and red spruce (Picearubens Sarg.) foliar chemistry and crown condition in the spruce-fir vegetation zone at Mount Moosilauke, New Hampshire. Our measurements were made in or adjacent to permanent plots stratified by elevation, aspect, and soil type. Soils were analyzed for exchangeable Ca, Mg, K, and Al and extractable P and Mn. Foliage was analyzed for Ca, Mg, K, Al, P, and Mn. Based upon the best available provisional standards for red spruce foliar element sufficiency, 1-year-old needles showed a moderate P deficiency (1000–1400 mg•kg−1), Mg levels in a transitional zone from deficiency to sufficiency (600–720 mg•kg−1), and Ca and K levels in a range sufficient for good growth. Foliar element concentrations were not correlated with crown condition. Extractable soil P (kg•ha−1 and cmol ion charge•kg−1) was positively correlated with crown condition. The only significant relationships found between soil exchangeable base cations and crown condition were positive correlations for Ca and Mg (kg•ha−1) in the Oi + Oe horizon. Several factors suggest that red spruce at high elevations at Mount Moosilauke was not stressed from base cation limitations: (i) foliar element concentrations were generally in sufficient ranges, (ii) crown condition was not related to foliar element concentration, (iii) relationships between exchangeable soil cations and foliar concentration or crown condition were generally not significant or were inconsistent between soil horizons.

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