Chlorophyll-nutrient relationships identify nutritionally caused decline in Picea abies stands
Increasing needle chlorosis at a declining Norway spruce site in NE Bavaria, Germany, as well as in other declining stands in S Germany, was associated with a decrease in the concentrations of both chlorophyll a and b, and, to a lesser extent, of carotenoids. Needle chlorosis related more to a decrease in the chlorophyll concentration than to a decrease in the ratio of total chlorophyll to carotenoids. In forests growing on relatively acidified soils, concentrations of both chlorophyll a and b, and of carotenoids in chlorotic needles were related to only to foliar Mg concentration. In forests growing on more alkaline soils, chlorophyll concentration increased with K and P concentrations and decreased with Ca and Mg concentrations. Green needles from a declining site in Bavaria were also compared with those from a nearby healthy site. The chlorophyll concentrations in needles increased more at the healthy site than at the declining site during the growing season and with increasing needle age as predicted by a nutritional disharmony model. Use of foliar chlorophyll and nutrient analyses of needles representing a range in severity of chlorosis is proposed as a quick method of identifying the soil processes which, in some areas, cause forest decline. -Authors
Duke Scholars
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Related Subject Headings
- Forestry
- 41 Environmental sciences
- 37 Earth sciences
- 30 Agricultural, veterinary and food sciences
- 07 Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences
- 05 Environmental Sciences
- 04 Earth Sciences
Citation
Published In
DOI
ISSN
Publication Date
Volume
Issue
Start / End Page
Related Subject Headings
- Forestry
- 41 Environmental sciences
- 37 Earth sciences
- 30 Agricultural, veterinary and food sciences
- 07 Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences
- 05 Environmental Sciences
- 04 Earth Sciences