Causes of Type 1 Spruce Decline in Europe

Roberts, T. M.; Skeffington, R. A.; Blank, Lutz W.

doi:10.1093/forestry/62.3.179-a

Cited by 133 publications

(38 citation statements)

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“…The present study was restricted to a single growing season, so longer-term effects cannot be discounted (Lucas, Rantanen & Mehlhorn, 1993). However, given the present findings, a mechanism for such longer-term effects is difficult to reconcile and it is noteworthy that a number of experiments on Norway spruce conducted over several seasons have revealed no significant effects of long-term O3 exposure on foliar nutrient composition (Roberts et al, 1989;Pfirrmann et al, 1990;Ogner, 1993;Rantanen, Palomaki & Holopainen, 1994). The present study therefore lends further support to the growing scepticism concerning the role of O3 in the development of Mg and K deficiency symptoms typical of ' declining' trees at higher elevations in the German ' Mittelgebirge' and Bavarian Forest.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 72%

“…Over the past decade, considerable attention has been paid to the effects of O3 on Norway spruce because of suggestions that the pollutant contributes to the development of the regional-specific nutrient disorders characteristic of particular types of forest decline in mountainous areas of central Europe (see Roberts et al, 1989). However, in recent years the role of O3 (Sandermann, Wellburn & Heath, 1996), and even the very existence of a widespread form of 'novel' forest decline, has been increasingly questioned (Skelly & Innes, 1994).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of elevated CO₂, O₃ and K deficiency on Norway spruce (Picea abies): nutrient supply, content and leaching

Pfirrmann¹,

Barnes²,

Steiner³

et al. 1996

New Phytologist

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SUMMARYTwo clones of 5-yr-old Norway spruce {Picea abies [L.] Karst.) were exposed to two atmospheric concentrations of CO2 (350 and 750/^.mol mol"^) and of O3 (20 and 75 nmol mol"^) in a phytotron at the GSFForschungszentrum (Munich) over the course of a single season (April-October). The phytotron was programmed to recreate an artificial climate similar to that at a high elevation site in the Inner Bavarian forest, and trees were grown in 40 1 containers of soil (pH 3-5) fertilized to achieve two levels of potassium nutrition; well fertilized and K-deficient. Foliar nutrient analyses performed at the beginning of the exposure indicated that the fertilization programmes achieved their goal without significantly altering the levels of other nutrients or the soil pH. At the beginning of the funiigation, foliar K concentrations were 7-9 mg g"^ d. wt for well fertilized trees and 4-5 mg g'^ d. wt for trees receiving no supplemental K. Over the course of the season, differences between K treatments intensified so that by the end of the experiment there was a five to sixfold difference between foliar K concentrations. This was associated with slight, but significant {P < 0-05), decreases in S and Zn (and of Cu in the 1989 needle year age class) and higher levels of C, N and Mg in K-deficient trees. Foliar N concentrations were low for all trees (9-15 mg g"^ needle d. wt) but were similar to levels found in the field.Elevated Og was found to decrease significantly the C (P < 0-05) and N (P < 0-001) content of both current-year (1989) and previous-year (1988) needles independent of CO.j concentration, but apart from some minor changes in the concentrations of Cu and Mn in the current-year needles no other effects of the pollutant on plant nutrient status were found. In contrast, CO, enrichment resulted in significantly (P < 0-01) lower concentrations of K and P (effects on Mg were also on the borderlines of statistical significance) in current-year needles, but there was no influence on the nutrient composition of the previous-year needles (although effects on N were on the borderlines of statistical significance). CO.^ enrichment also increased (P < 0-05) the C:N ratio of both current-year and previous-year needles. One factor contributing to the decline in foliar K at elevated COg appeared to be a marked increase (25-30%) in the rate at which cations were leached from the canopy by repeated simulated acid mist (pH 4-0) events, and this effect occurred independently of the Og concentration. The information presented will aid the interpretation of parallel studies examining the effects of elevated CO2 and/or O3 on seasonal changes in photosynthesis, non-structural carbohydrate content, antioxidants, tree growth and water use efficiency, and sheds further light on the growing scepticism concerning the role of O3 in the development of Mg and K-deficiency symptoms characteristic of certain types of forest decline in central Europe.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 72%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of elevated CO₂, O₃ and K deficiency on Norway spruce (Picea abies): nutrient supply, content and leaching

Pfirrmann¹,

Barnes²,

Steiner³

et al. 1996

New Phytologist

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“…Also, since microorganisms immobilise nutrients from fallen leaves (Ausmus, Edwards & Witkamp, 1976;, and since nutrient loss from temperate forest systems is accelerated in autumn owing to diminished root activity (Likens et al, 1977), inhibition of microbial activity by dry-deposited SOj in this season may result in lower nutrient status of affected litters. Indeed, accelerated leaching of calcium, magnesium and potassium, because of reduced microbial immobilization in forests exposed to SOj, may be responsible for foliar deflciencies in trees (Shortle & Smith, 1988;Roberts, Skeffington & Blank, 1989).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of dry‐deposited sulphur dioxide on fungal decomposition of angiosperm tree leaf litter III. Decomposition rates and fungal respiration

et al. 1992

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SUMMARYAsh {Fraxinus excelsior L.), bircb {Betula spp.), hazel {Corylus avellana L.), sessile oak [Quercus petraea (Mattuschka) Liebl.] and sycamore {Acer pseudoplatanus L.) leaf litters from a virtually non-polluted and a heavily sulphur dioxide (SO2)-polluted woodland were fumigated with environmentally-realistic concentrations (0010-0030/il r') of SOj for 16-68 wk in an open-air field-fumigation experiment. Eumigation inhibited tbe respiration (CO^ evolution) and decomposition rates of the leaf litters. However, there were few differences in the responses between leaf litters from the two woodlands.In addition, pure cultures of four saprotrophic fungi were grown individually on irradiated hazel litter and exposed to c. 0-030/<1 L^ of gaseous SOg for 28 d in the laboratory. The gas inhibited the respiration of Phoma exigua Desm. and Phoma macrostoma Mont, but not the respiration of Cladosporium cladosporioides (Eres.) de Vries or Coniothyrium quercinum Sacc. var. glandicola Grove. These results in part substantiated findings of previous experiments examining the effects of SO^ on the structures of saprotrophic fungal communities. The efTects of SOô n fungal decomposition of angiosperm tree leaf litter as possible causes of forest decline are discussed.

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“…forest death, defoliation/needle loss of trees, the impact of acidic deposition on the soil, water and vegetation, and the "newtype" of forest decline, were widely mentioned both in the news headlines and in the titles of scientific papers. Extensive monitoring of forest condition and major environmental projects were started in many European countries in the middle of the 1980's, including Finland (Mathy 1988, Roberts et al 1989, Hanisch and Kilz 1990, Kauppi et al 1990, Merilä et al 2007). In the early 1980's in Sweden and Finland, a fungal disease, Scleroderris canker [Gremmeniella abietina (Lagerb.)…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of living crown reduction on needle element status of Scots pine

Nuorteva¹

2008

Diss. For.

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A wide range of biotic and abiotic factors, operating over different time perspectives and intensities, cause defoliation and a rapid decrease in the crown size of trees. Scleroderris canker disease [Gremmeniella abietina (Lagerb.) Morelet] has caused widespread crown reduction and tree mortality in Scots pine in forests in Scandinavia during the last three decades. In the 1980's, attempts were made to show, on the basis of the higher foliar N and S concentrations of affected pines in the diseased area, that sulphur and nitrogen deposition predispose trees to G. abietina. Unfortunately, in many studies on defoliated trees, exceptionally high or low needle mineral nutrient concentrations are still often interpreted as one of the causes of tree injury and not, conversely, as the result. In this thesis, three different field experiments, with foliar analysis as the main study method, were conducted in order to asses the possible long-term effects of living crown reduction on the needle nutrient concentrations of Scots pine trees in southern Finland. The crown ratio and length of the living crown were used to estimate the amount of defoliation in the reduced canopies. The material for the partial studies was collected and a total of 968 foliar samples were analysed individually (15-17 elements/sample) on a total of 488 sample trees (140 diseased, 116 pruned and 232 control trees) during the years 1987-1996 in 13 Scots pine stands.All the three experiments of this thesis provided significant evidence that severe disease-induced defoliation or artificial pruning of the living branches can induce longlasting nutritional changes in the foliage of the recovering trees under the typical growing conditions for Scots pine.The foliar concentrations of all the 17 mineral nutrients/elements analysed were affected, to a varying degree, by artificial pruning during the following three years. Although Scots pine, as an evergreen conifer, is considered to have low induced chemical responses to defoliation, this study proved experimentally under natural forest conditions that severe artificial pruning or disease-induced defoliation of Scots pine trees may induce biologically significant changes in the concentrations of most of the important macro-and micronutrients, as well as of carbon, in refoliated needles.

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Causes of Type 1 Spruce Decline in Europe

Cited by 133 publications

References 0 publications

Effects of elevated CO₂, O₃ and K deficiency on Norway spruce (Picea abies): nutrient supply, content and leaching

Effects of elevated CO₂, O₃ and K deficiency on Norway spruce (Picea abies): nutrient supply, content and leaching

Effects of dry‐deposited sulphur dioxide on fungal decomposition of angiosperm tree leaf litter III. Decomposition rates and fungal respiration

Effects of living crown reduction on needle element status of Scots pine

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Causes of Type 1 Spruce Decline in Europe

Cited by 133 publications

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Effects of elevated CO2, O3 and K deficiency on Norway spruce (Picea abies): nutrient supply, content and leaching

Effects of elevated CO2, O3 and K deficiency on Norway spruce (Picea abies): nutrient supply, content and leaching

Effects of dry‐deposited sulphur dioxide on fungal decomposition of angiosperm tree leaf litter III. Decomposition rates and fungal respiration

Effects of living crown reduction on needle element status of Scots pine

Contact Info

Product

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Effects of elevated CO₂, O₃ and K deficiency on Norway spruce (Picea abies): nutrient supply, content and leaching

Effects of elevated CO₂, O₃ and K deficiency on Norway spruce (Picea abies): nutrient supply, content and leaching