Possible causes of the recent rapid increase in the radial increment of silver fir in the Western Carpathians.
Silver fir is one of the most productive and ecologically valuable native European tree species, however, it has been experiencing decline which has periodically occurred over its natural range. This paper aims to investigate the recent climate-growth relationships of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) and its temporal change along the course of its life. Long-term tree-ring databases, as well as records on climate, atmospheric SO2, NO3 and acid concentrations from four different regions in the Western Carpathians were used. The results provide clear evidence of significant increase of silver fir's radial increment over the entire Western Carpathian area since 1970-1980. The results indicated that the most probable factors behind the rapid recovery of tree radial increment were reductions in emissions of NO3 and SO2, alongside a significant increase in mean June, July and April temperatures.
National Forest Centre, T.G. Masaryka 22, Zvolen 96092, Slovakia; Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Czech Republic. Electronic address: bosela@nlcsk.org.
Michal
M
Bošela
Rudolf
R
Petráš
Zuzana
Z
Sitková
Tibor
T
Priwitzer
Jozef
J
Pajtík
Helena
H
Hlavatá
Róbert
R
Sedmák
Brian
B
Tobin
D028202:Abies / Q000254:growth & development*; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002980:Climate; D057231:Climate Change; D004463:Ecology; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D009566:Nitrates / Q000032:analysis*; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide / Q000032:analysis*; D013696:Temperature
D000393:Air Pollutants; D009566:Nitrates; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide
Climate change; Dieback; Growth recovery; SO(2) and NO(x) air pollution; Silver fir