A survey of the health of fagus silvatica in southern Britain : Air Pollution and Forest Decline. 14th International Meeting for Specialists in Air Pollution Effects on Forest Ecosystems

1989

S. 477-479

3 Abb., 6 Lit. Ang., En, Zfsg. En

Unselbständiges Werk

200034792

The health of 1728 beech trees, Fagus sylvatica, within the age range of 80- 140 years, has been assessed at 72 sites using crown density, chlorosis and architecture as the major criteria. At each site range of environmental variables have also been measured. The different levels of tree health revealed by the various assessment techniques are presented, along with maps showing their geographical distributions. We are currently using information on regional diestributions of air pollutants and meteorological parameters in a mulltivariate analysis to seek relationships between these parameters and tree health. The extent of this survey, and the inclusion of a variety of symptoms of health should llow us to gain a clearer picture of how particular environmental variables are related to different aspects of tree vitality. This may permit the identification of those symptons which are likely to be of graetest value in future survey work of his nature.