Yellowing of Norway spruce stands in the Silesian Beskids - damage extent and dynamics

Abstract

In recent years, the Czech part of the Silesian Beskids has been affected by strong yellowing of Norway spruce stands and gradual decline of individual trees. Similar damage has also been observed in the neighbouring parts of Poland and Slovakia. The article presents the results of an investigation in the Forest District Jablunkov - part Nýdek. To evaluate the situation, monitoring plots were established and a regional survey was carried out together with tree-ring analysis. The results show a mosaic distribution of damage in the region studied, independent of the altitude and forest type. Defoliation was lower in 20-40 years old stands. Even these young classes, however, show yellowing symptoms. The decline of stands started to be visible at the end of the 1990s; significant loss of vitality was observed in the most affected stands in 2003, after an extremely hot and dry vegetation period. Actual development of meteorological conditions plays an important role in the stand damage. Lastly, possible causes of damage and further development are discussed.

Keywords

• norway spruce
• forest decline
• needle yellowing
• silesian beskids