Volume 7
Issue 2
Forestry
JOURNAL OF
POLISH
AGRICULTURAL
UNIVERSITIES
Available Online: http://www.ejpau.media.pl/volume7/issue2/forestry/abs-07.html
THE DENDROCHRONOLOGICAL MONITORING OF THE WESTERN BESKID MOUNTAINS (SOUTHERN POLAND) ON THE BASIS OF RADIAL INCREMENTS OF NORWAY SPRUCE (PICEA ABIES (L.) KARST.)
Sławomir Wilczyński, Edward Feliksik
ABSTRACT
A short- and long-term variation of the tree-ring size of Norway spruce trees growing in 25 stands situated at various altitudes in the Western Beskid Mountains are discussed. It was found that air temperatures of winter and early spring were the most influential factors affecting the variation of radial increments. Also the temperature and precipitation of summer had a significant effect on the tree-ring size. Trees in the altitudinal zones: 450-750 m, 800-900 m and 950-1200 m showed a different increment rhythm. The air temperatures of summer were the factors differentiating their increment reactions. Trees growing above 950 m had the greatest thermic requirements. While trees growing between 800 and 900 m were mainly under a strong influence of pluvial conditions. Probably the air pollution was a significant factor, which during 1970-1985 weakened the biological activity of trees growing above 950 m. Since the mid-1990s there was an increase of average tree-ring sizes, and also the amplitude of changes of the ring size increased. This reflected an increased susceptibility of trees to meteorological stimuli of the environment, which may be the cause of their weakening and mass dying, mainly in the altitudinal zone of 800-900 m.
Key words: Picea abies, tree-ring, dendroclimatology, monitoring, dendrochronology, Beskidy Mountains..