Field Evidence of Influences on Tree Health
Authored By: P. G. Schaberg, E. K. Miller, C. Eagar
Controlled experiments like the ones outlined above have provided valuable insights into the biological mechanism through which Ca depletion may influence tree physiology and health. However, such studies by themselves do little to inform us of the threat Ca depletion may pose to native forests. Instead, evidence from numerous field studies has supported experimental findings and implicated Ca depletion as a contributing factor in the real-world decline of tree species in the United States and abroad.
Subsections found in Field Evidence of Influences on Tree Health
- Winter Injury of Red Spruce : The role that foliar winter injury has played in red spruce decline in Northeastern United States and adjacent Canada has been long understood (see DeHayes 1992).
- Sugar Maple Decline : Sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) decline has been documented throughout parts of the Northeastern United States and Quebec over many recent decades (Allen and others 1992a, Kelley 1988, Mader and Thompson 1969, Wilmot and others 1995).
- Anthracnose Damage to Flowering Dogwood : Acidic deposition exposure significantly increases the susceptibility of flowering dogwood (Cornus florida L.) trees to injury by the fungal pathogen dogwood anthracnose (Discula destructive Redlin) (Anderson and others 1993, Britton and others 1996).
- Emerging Examples in the United States and Europe : In addition to the well-established connections between Ca depletion and tree health outlined above, new associations between the Ca status and health of trees periodically emerge—particularly in regions that experience continued pollution-induced Ca leaching.
Encyclopedia ID: p3187
