Using a Life History-Carbon Balance Model for Forest Decline Research

Climate-Induced Forest Mortality in the Tropical Pacific Islands: What Do We Really Know?

“…Nevertheless, the dieback in the montane Metrosideros rainforest undoubtedly has some association with the physical environment, particularly with slope, annual rainfall, and the type of substrate (Akashi and Mueller-Dombois 1995; see also Gerrish 1988, 1993 and Gerrish et al 1988 on effects of nutrient limitation and Santiago et al 2000 on effects of water logging). About 80% of the forests affected by dieback grow on continuously waterlogged sites, with an additional 15% on poorly drained soils (Mueller-Dombois and Krajina 1968, Hodges et al 1986).…”

Islands

“…However, research in different Pacific islands, such as Hawai'i (Mueller-Dombois 1993;Jacobi 1993;Gerrish 1993;and Jeltsch and Wissel 1993), the Galapagos (Lawesson 1988;Itow and Mueller-Dombois 1988), New Zealand (Stewart and Veblen 1983;Wardle and Allen 1983;Ogden 1988;Ogden et al 1993), Papua New Guinea (Arentz 1983;Ash 1988;Enright 1988), and Japan (Kohyama 1988) has revealed the need to consider yet another major factor complex in addition to disease and/or abiotic stress to explain canopy dieback or mass mortality at the stand or landscape level.…”