Forest Decline Concepts

International in scope, this book provides a foundation of diverse ideas and approaches to explain complex problems of trees.

M->CREATED

Abiotic agents of tree diseases; Biotic agents of tree diseases; Overview aspects of tree disiases.

This workshop was held to explore issues on forest decline in eastern Canada and the northeastern United States. Its objectives were to facilitate information exchange, to determine forest status in the region (Where is decline occurring? Which species are involved? Over what time frame is decline occurring? What are the symptoms?), to consider the causes of observed declines and the role of air pollution, and to consider research directions. Appendices cover the concept of forest decline, major points raised, a survey summary, the data file and report file, and a map file.

Lord Rutherford has said that all science is either physics or stamp collecting. On that basis the study of forest biomass must be classified with stamp collecting and other such pleasurable pursuits. Japanese scientists have led the world, not only in collecting basic data, but in their attempts to systematise our knowledge of forest biomass. They have studied factors affecting dry matter production of forest trees in an attempt to approach underlying phYf'ical principles. This edition of Professor Satoo's book has been made possible the help of Dr John F. Hosner and the Virginia Poly technical Institute and State University who invited Dr Satoo to Blacksburg for three months in 1973 at about the time when he was in the final stages of preparing the Japanese version. Since then the explosion of world literature on forest biomass has continued to be fired by increasing shortages of timber supplies in many parts of the world as well as by a need to explore renewable sources of energy. In revising the original text I have attempted to maintain the input of Japanese work - much of which is not widely available outside Japan - and to update both the basic information and, where necessary, the conclusions to keep them in tune with current thinking. Those familiar with the Japanese original will find Chapter 3 largely rewritten on the basis of new work - much of which was initiated while Dr Satoo was in Blacksburg.

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "Forest Pathology and Plant Health" that was published in Forests

Forest damage, forest decline, forest dieback - not related to biotic agents - is occurring in the Atlantic and Pacific regions. In Europe and Eastern North America this serious problem is considered to be, at least to some part, related to industrial air pollutants and their atmospheric conversion products, such as acid rain or ozone. Forest declines in the Pacific region have been attributed largely to natural causes involving forest dynamics, since air pollution and other negative anthropogenic influences are practically absent. Presented here are typical decline phenomena in the Pacific and Atlantic region, potential causes, effects and mitigation strategies, and the question whether there are any similarities on a functional or structural basis is addressed.

This document explores the underlying causes of forest decline. First, is examined the concept itsel and the distinction between agents and direct and underlying causes. Then, is focused a selected set of underlying causes of forest decline. The las section summarises the main findings. The document draws heavily on research results from the CIFOR.