Root architecture might account for contrasting establishment success of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudotsuga menziesii</Emphasis> var. <Emphasis Type="Italic">menziesii</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus sylvestris</Emphasis> in Central Europe under dry conditions

Key message

Pinus sylvestris seedlings quickly expand their roots to deeper soil layers while Pseudotsuga menziesii concentrates its root system in the topsoil, thereby running the risk of desiccation during long dry spells, as indicated by lower survival after simulated summer drought.

Context

Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas-fir) is regarded as a promising species to maintain the productivity of Central European lowland forests given the projected increase of long dry spells.

Aims

Will the species be able to regenerate from seed and spread outside plantations in a drier temperate Europe?

Methods

We measured the relative growth rate, biomass allocation, root architecture, and phenotypic plasticity of Pseudotsuga menziesii seedlings sown in a common garden and grown under current precipitation and prolonged drought, respectively. The species’ competitive ability with respect to Pinus sylvestris L., the most drought-tolerant native conifer in Central Europe, was assessed during three growing seasons.

Results

Pinus sylvestris seedlings had higher relative growth rates than did Pseudotsuga menziesii seedlings, first in terms of aboveground biomass and later in terms of shoot height. This resulted in heavier and taller seedlings after three growing seasons under both moist and dry conditions. Shorter vertical roots corresponded with lower survival of Pseudotsuga menziesii seedlings under dry conditions.

Conclusion

Fast root proliferation allows Pinus sylvestris seedlings to reach deeper water pools that are less rapidly depleted during transient drought. By contrast, the shallow root system might put Pseudotsuga menziesii seedlings at the risk of desiccation during prolonged dry spells.

     

Characterisation of and changes in the atmospheric deposition situation in German forest ecosystems using multivariate statistics

Based on the results of the atmospheric deposition classification of the year 1989, a methodical approach should be introduced, which—based on the modelled total deposition rates—enables us to characterise the input situation of forest monitoring plots and to delimit load areas in Germany. In 1989, the deposition situation in nearly 1,800 forest monitoring sites (BZE/extensive Soil Condition Inventory) in Germany could be explained by four factors (or three, excluding sea salt impact) with the help of a factor analysis. The factor values were grouped into six deposition types with typical compounds and regional patterns. The classified input rates of the soil inventory plots adequately represent the stress situation and deposition changes in Germany. The application of the statistical approach on the level of Brandenburg clarifies the special local input situation. Due to the special combination of deposed elements, the sources of emissions can be characterised as well. When the soil inventory is repeated, a project planned for 2006, this approach can be used in order to determine homogenous areas for stratified data evaluation.     

Concept and feasibility study for the integrated evaluation of environmental monitoring data in forests

In the 1970s unexpected forest damages, called “new type of forest damage” or “forest decline”, were observed in Germany and other European countries. The Federal Republic of Germany and the German Federal States implemented a forest monitoring system in the early 1980s, in order to monitor and assess the forest condition. Due to the growing public awareness of possible adverse effects of air pollution on forests, in 1985 the ICP Forests was launched under the convention on long-range transboundary air pollution (CLRTAP) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN-ECE). The German experience in forest monitoring was a base for the implementation of the European monitoring system. In 2001 the interdisciplinary case study “concept and feasibility study for the integrated evaluation of environmental monitoring data in forests”, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, concentrated on in-depths evaluations of the German data of forest monitoring. The objectives of the study were: (a) a reliable assessment of the vitality and functioning of forest ecosystems, (b) the identification and quantification of factors influencing forest vitality, and (c) the clarification of cause-effect-relationships leading to leaf/needle loss. For these purposes additional data from external sources were acquired: climate and deposition, for selected level I plots tree growth data, as well as data on groundwater quality. The results show that in particular time series analysis (crown condition, tree growth, and tree ring analysis), in combination with climate and deposition are valuable and informative, as well as integrated evaluation of soil, tree nutrition and crown condition data. Methods to combine information from the extensive and the intensive monitoring, and to transfer process information to the large scale should be elaborated in future.

Vitalitätsansprache von Fichten auf der Grundlage spektraler Rückstrahlungsmessungen

Zusammenfassung Ziel des Projekts ist die Erarbeitung spektraler Rückstrahlungscharakteristiken von Einzelb?umen und Bestandesoberfl?chen zur Erfassung und kontinuierlichen Beobachtung von Vitalit?tsunterschieden bzw. Sch?digungen an Waldb?umen, insbesondere an Fichten. (Ammer et al. 1983;Hildebrandt 1976). Die für die Spektroradiometermessungen wichtigen objektunabh?ngigen Einflu?parameter wie Sonnenstand, Me?richtung, Neigungswinkel, ?ffnungswinkel und Beleuchtungsverh?ltnisse sind durch eine Vielzahl von Voruntersuchungen bestimmt worden. Erste Me?ergebnisse an Testfl?chen im H?glwald und im Erbersberger Forst lassen deutliche Reaktionen im Spektralverhalten erkennen, die auf Vitalit?ts- und ph?nologische Unterschiede zurückgeführt werden k?nnen.

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Judging vigor of spruces on the basis of spectral reflection measurements

Summary Objective of the research project is the evaluation of characteristic spectral signatures for single trees and stands to assess and continuously monitor differences in vigor, or damages of trees, respectively, especially for spruce. The object-independent parameters which are important for the spectro-radiometer measurements, such as angle and elevation of the sun, inclination, measuring direction, angle of view, and illumination have been determined by numerous previous investigations. First results from the testsites “H?glwald” and “Ebersberger Forst” show distinct differences in the spectral curves which can be related to different degrees of vigor and phenology.

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Beitrag Nr. 16 der H?glwald-Serie 1986     

Organic and inorganic sulfur transport in the xylem sap and the sulfur budget of Picea abies trees

Temporal changes in inorganic and organic sulfur compounds (sulfate, glutathione, cysteine, methionine) were analyzed in xylem sap of 40-year-old Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) trees growing on acidic soils at a healthy and a declining stand in the Fichtelgebirge (North Bavaria, Germany). Studies were carried out (1) to quantify glutathione (GSH) transport in the xylem of spruce, (2) to study the significance of reduced sulfur versus sulfate (SO(4) (2-)) transport in the xylem, and (3) to compare total sulfur (S) transport in the xylem with the amount of foliar uptake of SO(2) in an air-polluted environment. Glutathione was the main reduced S compound in the xylem ranging in concentration from 0.5 to 5 &mgr;mol l(-1). Concentrations of inorganic SO(4) (2-) in the xylem sap were up to 50 times higher than those of GSH ranging from 60 to 230 &mgr;mol l(-1). During the growing season, concentrations of all S compounds in the xylem were highest in May (up to 246 &mgr;mol l(-1)) and decreased during summer and fall (up to 21 &mgr;mol l(-1)). On average, SO(4) (2-) concentrations in xylem sap were 30% higher at the declining site compared with the healthy site. Diurnal changes in organic S compounds were significant for GSH and cysteine with high concentrations during the night and low concentrations during the day. Diurnal changes in inorganic concentrations were not significant. Xylem sap concentrations of SO(4) (2-) and cysteine were twice as high and GSH concentrations were tenfold higher in surface roots than in branches. At both sites, transport of organic S was low (up to 3% of total S) compared to transport of SO(4) (2-). Annual transport of total S in the xylem (SO(4) (2-) was the main component) ranged from 60 to 197 mmol tree(-1) year(-1) at the healthy site and from 123 to 239 mmol tree(-1) year(-1) at the declining site. Although gaseous uptake of SO(2) was estimated to be similar at both sites (38 mmol tree(-1) year(-1); Horn et al. 1989), the ratio between annual gaseous uptake of SO(2) and transport of S in the xylem was 1:4 and 1:5 at the healthy and declining sites, respectively.     

Impact of Botryosphaeria,Diplodia and Neofusicoccum species on two Eucalyptus species and a hybrid: From pathogenicity to physiological performance

Species of Botryosphaeriaceae are associated with canker and dieback of Eucalyptus spp. worldwide, but little is known about their effect on the host physiology. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of Botryosphaeriaceae isolates from nine species in three genera (Botryosphaeria, Diplodia and Neofusicoccum), previously isolated from eucalypts, on three different Eucalyptus hosts (seedlings of E. nitens, cuttings of E. globulusand of E. globulus× E. cypellocarpa). An approach combining standard pathogenicity trials with evaluation of plant morpho‐physiological parameters was used. The size of the lesions produced revealed differences in fungal aggressiveness and host susceptibility. Isolates of Neofusicoccum kwambonambienseand Diplodia corticolawere the most aggressive, while Botryosphaeria dothidea and Diplodia seriataisolates were the least aggressive. In general, hybrid E. globulus× E. cypellocarpa plants developed smaller lesions, followed by E. nitens and E. globulus. Eucalyptus nitensplants showed minimal modifications on the morpho‐physiological profile when infected, although more severe symptoms and mortality were observed. This is probably due to a more variable genetic background of the plants. However, in general, no direct association between putative fungal aggressiveness and plant physiological disorders could be found. Results suggested that under optimal growth conditions plants manage to cope with pathogen attack and maintain their physiological performance.     

Future orientation and planning in forestry: a comparison of forest managers’ planning horizons in Germany and the Netherlands

Long range (or strategic) planning is an important tool for forest management to deal with the complex and unpredictable future. However, it is the ability to make meaningful predictions about the rapidly changing future that is questioned. What appears to be particularly neglected is the question of the length of time horizons and the limits (if any) to these horizons, despite being considered one of the most critical factors in strategic planning. As the future creation of values lies within individual responsibility, this research empirically explored the limits (if any) of individual foresters’ time horizons. To draw comparisons between countries with different traditions in forest management planning, data were collected through telephone surveys of forest managers in the state/national forest services of the Netherlands and Germany. In order to minimize other cultural differences, the research in Germany concentrated on the federal state of Nordrhein-Westfalen, which has considerable similarities with the Netherlands, e.g. in topography, forest types and forest functions. The results show that, in practice, 15 years appears to be the most distant horizon that foresters can identify with. This is in sharp contrast to the time horizons spanning decades and even generations that are always said to exist in forestry. The “doctrine of the long run”—the faith in the capacity of foresters to overcome the barriers of the uncertain future and look ahead and plan for long-range goals—which in many countries still underlies traditional forest management, can therefore be rejected.

Effects of N, NP, and NPKS fertilizers applied to four-year old hybrid poplar plantations

Mineral fertilizers were applied to adjacent plantations of 2, 4-year old, hybrid poplars: clone 27 (Northwest, P. deltoides × P. balsamifera) and 794 (Brooks, P. deltoides × P. × petrowskyana), in north eastern Alberta. Fertilization was done in May 2003 to see whether growth rates could be increased and rotations shortened. Three fertilizers (N, NP and NPKS + Cu + Zn) were applied at each of three rates (supplying N at 0, 100 and 200 kg ha⁻¹) in a factorial randomized block design to the two separate plantations. Fertilization with 200 kg ha⁻¹ N and 100 kg ha⁻¹ P increased volume growth of clone 27 by 1 m³ ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ over 2 years. Clone 794 showed no volume response to fertilization, but produced 8.7 m³ ha⁻¹ more than clone 27. Leaf area, dry mass and nutrient concentrations of both clones increased in the first year after fertilization, showing that fertilizer uptake occurred. Decrease in leaf size between 2003 and 2004 was affected by fertilizer level in clone 794. There were differences between some nutrient concentrations in the soils occupied by the two clones, and clone 794 had higher leaf concentrations of N, K, Ca, S, Mn, Zn, B and Mo than clone 27. Fertilization of 4-year old plantations of either clone was unwarranted, and planting clone 794 would be likely to provide greater yield than planting and fertilizing clone 27.