Pollution control enhanced spruce growth in the “Black Triangle” near the Czech–Polish border

Kolář, Tomáš; Čermák, Petr; Oulehle, Filip; Trnka, Miroslav; Štěpánek, Petr; Cudlín, Pavel; Hruška, Jakub; Büntgen, Ulf; Rybníček, Michal

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.08.105

Cited by 85 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…In the context of the patterns of observed climate change in Mongolia (Oyuntuya et al 2015), these results indicate that warmer and drier vegetation periods lead to lower growth productivity and may contribute to decreasing forest area. Tree growth at high elevations, however, has been shown to correlate positively with higher summer temperatures (Kolář et al 2015;Wilson et al 2016). Therefore, in a cold high-elevation environment with a subzero annual mean temperature, as in the Mongolian Altai Mountains, an increase in temperature could theoretically promote the growth and productivity of larch trees .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate-growth relationships and pointer year analysis of a Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.) chronology from the Mongolian mountain forest steppe compared to white birch (Betula platyphylla Sukaczev)

et al. 2017

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Background: Forest area, stand quality and growth of Siberian larch in Mongolia have decreased significantly over recent decades. This forest decline is frequently attributed to factors such as unregulated logging, increased ecological disturbances (primarily fire) and climate change. In this study, we analyzed climate-growth response and pointer years for Siberian larch observed in the Altansumber forest research area in the Mongolian mountain forest steppe zone. We compare our results with previously published results of white birch from the same area. Methods: We built a reference chronology from wood core samples taken from 30 trees in three neighboring larch stands. Climate-growth relationships were analyzed monthly and seasonally over the period 1962-2009 using climate data from the Eroo weather station. Pointer year analysis covered the same time frame. Results: Our analysis of the larch chronology showed that precipitation during autumn of the previous year and directly before the growing season of the current year was the most decisive factor determining tree-ring growth. Regional pointer year analysis further indicated that a humid summer and autumn followed by a warm spring support current-year tree-ring growth in these larch stands. Our findings were comparable to a white birch study in the same area. The larch trees, however, showed stronger growth performance and were more tolerant of higher temperatures, notably in spring during peak fire season.Conclusions: Water availability is the decisive factor for larch growth in the mountain forest steppe zone. The chronologies showed no climatic indication of insect infestations. Differences in climate-growth relationships of birch and larch trees during peak fire season may to some degree be explained by their respective means of protecting themselves against low-intensity surface fires (e.g. thick bark of larch). These fire events occur regularly in the region and are influenced by climatic factors. Our analysis and comparison of climate tree-growth relationships may be valuable for developing climate-and disturbance-resilient forestry practices in Mongolian mountain forest ecosystems.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate-growth relationships and pointer year analysis of a Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.) chronology from the Mongolian mountain forest steppe compared to white birch (Betula platyphylla Sukaczev)

et al. 2017

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“…However, the downward trend in sulphur deposition between 1998-2010 was found in the most areas of Europe confirmed as statistically significant mainly thanks to the applied measures (Lorenz & Becher 2012). The beneficial effect of reducing sulphur depositions on the growth of European silver fir (Elling et al 2009;Bošeľa et al 2014;Büntgen et al 2014) as well as Norway spruce (Kroupová 2002;Kolář et al 2015).…”

Section: The Development Of Basic Cations and Sulfur And Nitrogen Commentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-term changes in atmospheric depositions in Slovakia

Krupová

Bošeľa

Pavlenda

et al. 2017

Central European Forestry Journal

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The aim of this paper was to analyse temporal changes in chemism of atmospheric deposition in Slovakia. Two kinds of deposition, bulk and throughfall were considered and analysed for the period of 1996-2010. Data acquired from permanent monitoring plots (PMP) of Level II were used for this purpose. These plots were established as a part of the ICP Forests Programme. The changes in the composition of deposition were identified for the spruce and beech plots. The results were compared among three spruce plots, two beech plots and one mixed spruce-beech-fir plot. Precipitation pH was higher on the beech than on the spruce plots and during the spotted period increased on both spruce and beech plots. Depositions of cations decreased significantly on the spruce and beech plots in bulk deposition for all elements except for calcium. The significant decline of sulphur and ammonium nitrogen was found on both spruce and beech plots, but the highest decrease of sulphur deposition was found in throughfall precipitation (R 2 = 0.75). The amount of nitrate nitrogen did not change during the study period.

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“…Territorial expansion of forest ecosystems, however, has not always been connected with improvements in forest condition. Significant political, economic, and social drivers during the 20th century, such as two world wars, the rise of communist regimes in Central and Eastern Europe, economic competition of COMECON states with Western Europe, and finally the collapse of communism and economic transformation in Central and Eastern Europe after 1989 have caused extensive land use/land cover changes (LU/LCC) and influenced forest health conditions in many regions of Central Europe (Kandeler and Innes 1995, Lambert et al 1995, Olofsson et al 2011, Kolář et al 2015, Groisman et al 2017, Vejpustková et al 2017. The Ore Mountains are very rich in mineral deposits (various ores and brown coal; Rojík 2015), and thus have been exploited for centuries.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the second half of the 20th century, severe air pollution coming from nearby coal-burning power plants led to unprecedented environmental damage in the area, including large-scale forest decline and dieback (Moldan andSchnoor 1992, Materna 1997) first described on Norway spruce, which have proven to be very pollution-sensitive (Schulze 1989). The whole region was part of the so-called 'Black Triangle', comprising Northern Czechia and the adjacent regions of Germany and Poland, where high concentrations of coal-burning power plants and industrial complexes created an area of extreme pollution emissions (Blažková 1996, Bridgman et al 2002, Kolář et al 2015. In the Czech part of the Black Triangle, forest soils exceeded critical loads of acidity in 75% of the region (Akselsson et al 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest cover and disturbance changes, and their driving forces: A case study in the Ore Mountains, Czechia, heavily affected by anthropogenic acidic pollution in the second half of the 20th century

Kupková

Potůčková

Lhotáková

et al. 2018

Environ. Res. Lett.

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This study focuses on the assessment of forest cover and disturbance changes in the heavily polluted Ore Mountains (Czechia, Central Europe) during the second half of the 20th century and onward. It analyzes the driving forces of forest changes with reference to environmental, societal and political development in the region. Anthropogenic air pollution, prevalently SO 2 from adjacent coal-burning industry, caused extensive forest decline, especially between the 1970s and 1980s. The most affected tree species was the main economical timber species, Norway spruce, which proved to be remarkably pollution-sensitive. We used Landsat time series, and a combination of an integrated forest Z-score and Disturbance Index (DI), to analyze the forest cover change and disturbance development during 1985-2016. In 1994, the forest cover reached its minimum there. The breakdown of communism in the 1990s implied fulfilling EU pollution standards via air protection regulations, investment in power plant desulphurization, and forest management measures, which were the main drivers of the forest recovery. The forest recovery continued till about 2005; however, fluctuations in forest cover and DI have continued during the last decade. Apparently, forests weakened by old loads are prone to new stress factors. Landsat time series represent a powerful data source to monitor the impact of these drivers on forests on a regional scale. Originally, the severely damaged eastern part with heavier acidic load and large forest decline recovered faster after remarkable lowering of air pollution loads compared to the western part, with lower loads and less damaged forests. However, the interactions of persisting driving forces (soil acidification, adverse meteorological events, climate change factors, air pollution, tree species composition and physiological state, pest outbreaks) still threaten the forests there, which remain moderately damaged in both parts of the Ore Mountains. This may lead to unpredictable forest development independently of societal and political driving forces.

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Pollution control enhanced spruce growth in the “Black Triangle” near the Czech–Polish border

Cited by 85 publications

References 62 publications

Climate-growth relationships and pointer year analysis of a Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.) chronology from the Mongolian mountain forest steppe compared to white birch (Betula platyphylla Sukaczev)

Climate-growth relationships and pointer year analysis of a Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.) chronology from the Mongolian mountain forest steppe compared to white birch (Betula platyphylla Sukaczev)

Long-term changes in atmospheric depositions in Slovakia

Forest cover and disturbance changes, and their driving forces: A case study in the Ore Mountains, Czechia, heavily affected by anthropogenic acidic pollution in the second half of the 20th century

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