Impact of heat and drought on tree and stand vitality - dendroecological methods and first results from level 2-plots in southern Germany

Frankfurt am Main

2007

10 Abb., 1 Tab., 10 Lit. Ang.

Artikel aus einer ZeitschriftUnselbständiges Werk

4733

200143583

Induced by the extreme heat and drought of the summer 2003 the Federal Ministry of Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture commissioned the Federal Research Centre for Forestry and Forest Products to investigate the effects of drought and heat on forest conditions on den basis of cause-effect relationships in forest ecosystems. Data from existing forest monitoring programs were used. The investigations of the complex relationships were subdivided into causes and into an effects side. Climatic water balance, available water capacity and relative soil water availability were calculated for selected level 1 and level 2 plots. Norway spruce tree ring chronologies from level 2 plots in southern Germany are used as an example to demonstrate the opportunities for getting valuable results by the application of dendroecological methods. The investigation of autocorrelation of first and higher order and its relations to climatic sensitivity of growth are shown. Finally, a synoptical analysis of the causes and effects of the 2003 drought are presented using data from four Bavarian Forest Climate Stations.