| Text | 329232 2012 Forest health Europe The condition of forests in Europe. Richard Fischer; Peter Waldner; Jofre Carnicer; Marta Coll; Matthias Dobbertin; Marco Ferretti; Karin Hansen; Georg Kindermann; Petra Lasch Born; Martin Lorenz; Aldo Marchetto; Stefan Meining; Tiina Nieminen; Josep Peñuelas; Pasi Rautio; Christopher Reyer; Peter Roskams; Gerardo Sanchez Fischer, Richard Johann Heinrich von Thunen Institute Institute for World Forestry Waldner, Peter Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL Carnicer, Jofre University of Groningen Community and Conservation Ecology Group Coll, Marta Institut de Ciencies del Mar, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cient ficas, Passeig Mar tim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain Dobbertin, Matthias Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland Ferretti, Marco TerraData environmetrics, Monterotondo Marittimo GR Hansen, Karin IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute Kindermann, Georg Federal Research and Training Centre for Forests, Natural Hazards and Landscape Lasch Born, Petra Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research Lorenz, Martin Johann Heinrich von Thunen Institute Institute for World Forestry Marchetto, Aldo CNR ISE, Pallanza Verbania Meining, Stefan Johann Heinrich von Thunen Institute Institute for World Forestry Nieminen, Tiina M. Finnish Forest Research Institute, Metla Peñuelas, Josep CREAF Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications Global Ecology Unit CREAF CSIC UAB Barcelona, Spain Rautio, Pasi Finnish Forest Research Institute, Metla Reyer, Christopher Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research Roskams, Peter Research Institute for Nature and Forest Environment, Nature and Energy Department Brussels, Belgium Sanchez, Gerardo General Directorate for Nature and Forest Policy, Madrid Of the 42 countries participating in ICP Forests, 29 countries reported for the year 2011 largescale Level I monitoring data from about 15,000 plots and forest ecosystem related Level II monitoring data from about 700 plots. The data analysis focused on the impact of air pollution on forest soils, tree nutrition, and tree crown condition. In this respect emphasis was laid on the assessment of future risks of air pollution damage to the forests in Europe. Also considered was the impact of factors other than air pollution such as pests and diseases. Mean annual throughfall and bulk deposition of S and N was calculated for 289 and 357 Level II plots, respectively. S deposition is highest in central Europe, ranging from the North Sea coast via central Germany to Poland, the Czech Republic, and the Slovak Republic. High S deposition along the coast mostly occurs with high Cl deposition indicating that S deposition originates from sea salt. The fact that throughfall is higher than bulk deposition confirms that the canopy filters sulphur from the air. Similar to S deposition, N deposition is highest in central Europe but extends further west to France, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, as well as further south to Switzerland. On about half of the investigated sites there is a statistically significant decrease in S and N deposition between 2000 and 2010. For assessing effects of N deposition on the nutrition of trees, the exceedances of harmful pollutant concentrations critical limits in the soil were calculated. Up to 251 Level II plots were included in the study depending on data availability. Deposition data included throughfall and bulk deposition. Soil solution was sampled using lysimeters in the same intervals as deposition. For different soil depths annual mean concentrations and their exceedances of critical limits published in the scientific literature were assessed. Results show a clear relation between N deposition and the occurrence of high nitrate concentrations below the rooting zone indicating N saturation at the particular sites. Nutrient imbalances related to high nitrate concentrations could be substantiated. Mg deficiencies occur more frequently on coniferous plots with exceedances of critical limits for nitrate in the soil solution. Also for beech trees the percentage of plots with low Mg amounts is higher on plots with critical limit exceedances. For spruce, pine, beech and oak there is a tendency towards less optimal Mg/N ratios with increasing exceedances of critical limits for nitrate in the soil solution. The share of trees with light green to yellow discoloration is higher when critical limits for nutrient imbalances are exceeded. The share of trees showing insect damage is related to the exceedance of critical levels for the BC/Al ratio. Crown condition is the most widely applied indicator for forest health and vitality in Europe. Mean defoliation of 135,388 sample trees on 6,807 transnational Level I plots was 19.5%. Of all trees assessed a share of 20.0% was scored as damaged, i. e. had a defoliation of more than 25%. Of the main species groups, deciduous temperate oak species had by far the highest mean defoliation 24.4% , followed by deciduous Sub Mediterranean oak species 22.0% , and evergreen oak species 21.2% . A mean defoliation of 20.7% was assessed for Fagus sylvatica. Coniferous species had lower defoliation, with Mediterranean lowland pine species showing 20.4%, followed by Picea abies 18.6% , Pinus sylvestris 18.1% . These figures are not comparable to those of previous reports because of fluctuations in the plot sample, mainly due to changes in the participation of countries. Therefore, the long term development of defoliation was calculated from the monitoring results of those countries which have been submitting data since 1992 every year without interruption. While defoliation of Scots pine and 8 Forest Condition in Europe 2012 Norway spruce decreased, defoliation of Fagus sylvatica and the oak species groups increased since 1992. In addition to defoliation, crown condition assessments comprise discoloration as well as damage caused by biotic and abiotic factors. Among the different damage factors, insects and fungi are the most frequent ones. Executive Report del progetto ICP Forests International Cooperative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests and European Union Program Forests Focus. Project report 2012 Executive Report 24 pp., 2012. Report 2012_Executive_Report_ICP_Waters.pdf Rapporto di ricerca Research report aldo.marchetto MARCHETTO ALDO TA.P02.014.002 Impatto dei cambiamenti globali sugli ecosistemi acquatici |
