Scots Pine ( Pinus sylvestris L. ) Crown Defoliation in Relation to the Acid Deposition and Meteorology in Lithuania

Author： Augustaitis Algirdas Augustaitiene Ingrida Deltuvas Romualdas

ISSN： 0049-6979

Source： Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, Vol.182, Iss.1-4, 2007-06, pp. : 335-348

Disclaimer: Any content in publications that violate the sovereignty, the constitution or regulations of the PRC is not accepted or approved by CNPIEC.

Previous Menu Next

Abstract

ICP Forest Monitoring data collected for more than 10 years made it possible to analyse key factors responsible for changes in forest conditions on a regional European scale. Observation routines may vary between different countries, which makes it difficult to gain more insight into stress-effect relationships. The effects on defoliation of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) of air concentrations and wet deposition of acidifying compounds, as well as effects of meteorological, site, stand and tree variables were investigated in Lithuania to test the hypothesis that spatial and temporal changes in pine defoliation were closely associated with atmospheric inputs of acidity. Over the period 1994–2004 crown defoliation of more than 8,000 pine trees was monitored in totally 45 stands distributed among three National Parks, where Integrated Monitoring Stations were situated. Air concentrations of SO2, and and deposition, as well as spring and summer precipitation and mean winter temperature were shown to be the key factors affecting defoliation. The acidifying compounds accounted for nearly 58% of the variance in pine defoliation. Meteorological factors increased the degree of explanation to 65%, and stand and site variables to 79%.