Abstract
Water and nutrient supply to forest trees are major factors controlling tree growth and forest vitality. Therefore, changes in the supply of water and nutrients to the trees may be important contributing reasons to the forest damages observed in Europe. Such changes may be caused by several factors, e.g. air pollution, soil acidification and climate change. The present study investigates possible effects on tree growth, growth related parameters and nutrition related to changes in the water and nutrient supply. Water and nutrient supply to the forest soil was manipulated in three roof covered plots. The treatments consisted of 1) summer drought, 2) irrigation and 3) combined irrigation and fertilizer application (fertigation). The results from the roof covered treatment plots were compared to a control plot without roof. Increased supply of water during the spring and early summer increased the diameter growth, whereas application of nutrients in addition to irrigation had no additional effect on tree growth. Addition of nutrients increased the needle content of P, Mn, Ca and Mg. Extended summer drought for 2 months had no effect on the tree growth or other growth parameters, but drought reduced the root development in the upper soil layer. Furthermore, drought induced significant stress symptoms by increasing the cone shredding substantially.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anonymous 1986 Manual on methodologies and criteria for harmonized sampling, assessment, monitoring and analysis of the effects of air pollution on forests. Hamburg/Geneva: Programme Co-ordinating Centres, UN/ECE (revised 1989). 97 p.
Anonymous 1992 Forest condition in Europe. Convention on longerange transboundary air pollution UN-ECE and CEC, Brussels, Belgium. 117 p.
Beier C, Bredemeier M, Collins J F, Cummins T, deVisser P H B, Farrell E P, Kreutzer K, Pröbstle P, Raben G H, Rasmussen L, Schierl R, Steinberg N and Zuleger M 1993 EXMAN-Experimental Manipulation of Forest Ecosystems in Europe-Prnject period 1988–1991. Eds. CBeier and LRasmussen. Forest Ecosystem Report 7, CEC, Brussels, Belgium. 124 p.
Boer M M, Koster E A and Lundberg H 1990 Greenhouse impact in Fennoscandia-Preliminary findings of a European workshop on the effects of climatic change. Ambio 19, 2–10.
Bosch C and Rehfuess K E 1988 Über die Rolle von Frostereignissen bei den “neuartigen” Waldschäden. Forstw. Cbl. 107, 123–130.
Cermak J, Kucera J and Janicek R 1993 The “roof” project in Rajec. In Experimental Manipulations of Biota and Biogeochemical Cycling in Ecosystems-Approach, Methodologies, Fndings. Eds. LRasmussen, TBrydges and PMathy. pp 165–171. Forest Ecosystem Report 4, CEC, Brussels, Belgium.
Dässler H Gvon and Ranft H 1986 Untersuchungen zur komplexen Wirkung von Immissions-und Frosteinfluss auf Fichtenwald in Mittelgebirgslagen. Allg. Forst Zeit. 15, 340–343.
Evers F H and Hüttl R F 1990/91 A new fertilization strategy in declining forests. Water Air Soil Pollut. 54, 495–508.
Falkengren-Grerup U, Linnermark N and Tyler G 1987 Changes in soil acidity and cation pools of south Sweden soils between 1949–1985. Chemosphere 16, 2239–2248.
Flueckiger W, Braun S and Leonardi S 1988 Air pollution, nutrient imbalances and changed resistance to parasites and frost. International symposium on 'Acidic deposition and forest decline, Rochester, New York, USA, October 20–21, 1988.
Gower S T and Norman J M 1991 Rapid estimation of leaf area index in conifer and broad-leaf plantations. Ecology 72, 1896–1900.
Gundersen P, Andersen B R, Beier C and Rasmussen L 1995 Experimental manipulations of water and nutrient input to a Norway spruce plantation at Klosterhede, Denmark: 1) Unintented physical and chemical changes by roof experiments. Plant and Soil 168/169.
Hansen K, Beier C, Gundersen P and Rasmussen L 1995 Experimental manipulations of water and nutrient input to a Norway spruce plantation at Klosterhede, Denmark: 3) Effects on through-fall, soil water chemistry and decomposition. Plant and Soil 168/169.
Holmsgård E 1955 Arringsanalyser af danske skovtraeer. (Tree-ring analyses of Danish forest trees). Statens Forstlige Forsϕgsvaesen Danmark 22, 1–246. (In Danish).
Holstener-Jϕrgensen H and Holmsgård E 1988–90 Irrigation and fertilization of old Norway spruce on outwash plain in Gludsted plantation, Jutland. Statens Forstlige Forsϕgsvaesen Danmark 42, 1–14.
Hüttl R F and Wisniewski J 1986 Fertilization as a tool to mitigate forest decline associated with nutrient deficiencies. Water Air Soil Pollut. 33, 265–276.
Ingestad T 1979 Mineral nutrient requirements of Pinus svlvestris and Picea abies seedlings Physiol. Plant. 45, 373–380.
Ingestad T 1988 A fertilization model based on the concepts of nutrient flux density and nutrient productivity. Scan. J. For. Res. 3, 157–173.
Katzensteiner K, Glatzel G, Kazda M and Sterba H 1992 Effects of air pollutants on mineral nutrition of Norway spruce and revitalization of declining stands in Austria. Water Air Soil Pollut. 61, 309–324.
Larsen J B, Koch N E and Nygaard E 1991 Skovsundhed på Feldborg, Klosterheden og Ulborg skovdistrikter. (Forest health at Feldborg, Klosterheden and Ulborgforest districts). Skoven 10, 396–398. (In Danish).
Linder S 1987 Responses to water and nutrients in coniferous ecosystems. In Potentials and Limitations of Ecosystem Analysis. Eds. E-D Schulze and H Zwölfer Ecol. Stud. 61, 180–202.
Lindroth S and Linder S 1991 Yield optimisation in young Norway spruce stands. In Responses of forest ecosystems to environmental changes. Eds. ATeller, PMathy and J N RJeffers. pp 814–815. Elsevier Appl. Sci., London, UK.
Mikkelsen T N and Ro-Poulsen H 1993 Physiology of the Norway spruce trees growing on the Danish EXMAN site. In Experimental Manipulations of Biota and Biogeochemical Cycling in Ecosystems—Approach, Methodologies, Findings. Eds. LRasmussen, TBrydges and PMathy. pp 244–246. Forest Ecosystem Report 4, CEC, Brussels, Belgium.
Nilsson L-O and Wiklund K 1992 Influence of nutrient and water stress on Norway spruce production in south Sweden—the role of air pollutants. Plant and Soil 147, 251–265.
Raulund-Rasmussen K and Larsen J B 1990 Jordbundsforsuringens årsager og virkninger i skove-med saerlig henblik på effekten af luftforurening og skovdyrkningspraksis. (Soil acidification causes and effects in forests with special reference to the effect of air pollution and forest management). Dan. Skovforen Tidskr. 75, 1–39. (In Danish).
Röhle H 1991 Entwicklung der wichtigsten ertragskundlichen Kenngrössen des Fichten-altbestan-des im Höglwald in der 6 jahrigen Beobachtungsperiode zwischen 1983 und 1988. In Ökosystemforschung Höglwald. Eds. KKreutzer and AGöttlein. pp 30–34. Forstwissen-schaftliche Forschungen 39, Verlag Paul Parey Hamburg, Germany.
Schulze E-D and Freer-Smith P H 1991 An evaluation of forest decline based on field observations focussed on Norway spruce, Picea abies. Proc. R. Soc. Edinburgh 97B, 155–168.
Schulze E-D 1989 Air pollution and forest decline in spruce (Picea abies) forest. Science 244, 776–783.
Ulrich B 1983 Interaction of forest canopies with atmospheric constituents: SO2, alkali and earth alkali cations and chloride. In Effects of accumulation of air pollutants in forest ecosystems. Eds. BUlrich and JPankrath. pp 33–45. Reidel, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.
VanBreemen N, Driscoll C T and Mulder J 1984 The role of acidic deposition and internal proton sources in acidification of soils and waters. Nature 307, 599–604.
VanBreemen N and VanDijk H F G 1988 Ecosystem effects of atmospheric deposition of nitrogen in the Netherlands. Environ. Poll. 54, 249–274.
Van denBurg J 1985 Foliar analysis for determination of tree nutrient status-compilation of literature data. Internal report 414, Inst. of Research on Forestry and Landscape “De Dorsch-kamp”. Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Beier, C., Gundersen, P., Hansen, K. et al. Experimental manipulation of water and nutrient input to a Norway spruce plantation at Klosterhede, Denmark. Plant Soil 168, 613–622 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00029375
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00029375