Peter H. Freer-Smith

The nutritional status of Picea abies (L.) Karst. across Europe, and implications for 'forest decline'.

SummaryDuring the summer of 1986, three year-classes of foliage were sampled from approximately 30-year-old Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] trees at 12 sites from S. W. Germany to N. Scotland. At sites in Germany, where trees were showing symptoms of ‘decline’, samples were taken from trees with ‘good’ crown condition and ‘poor’ crown conditon. The distinction between ‘good’ and ‘poor’ was made on the basis of international protocols for defining crown density and foliar discoloration. There was a wide range in nutrient content (percent dry weight) in apparently healthy trees. Current year foliage had ranges of mean values per site: S(0.07–0.13%), N(0.9–1.4%), K(0.5–0.9%), Ca(0.2–0.7%), and Mg (0.05–0.1%). Ranges were greater for 2-year-old foliage: S(0.09–0.18%), N(1.0–1.8%), K(0.4–0.7%), Ca(0.2–1.4%), and Mg(0.03–0.09%). At sites with trees having ‘poor’ crown condition, there were significantly smaller concentrations of Mg and Ca, and larger concentrations of K in 2-year-old foliage from ‘poor’ trees, compared with adjacent ‘good’ trees. Ratios of nutrient content were more significantly related to crown condition within sites than individual nutrients, especially in older needles. ‘Poor’ crowns were associated with larger ratios of N∶Mg, K∶Mg, S∶Mg, K∶Ca and smaller ratios of S∶K and N∶K. A ‘risk index’ is defined for trees showing no visible ‘decline’ symptoms, based upon nutrient content and nutrient ratios, which may be useful in identifying sites liable to experience deterioration in crown condition.With the exception of one German site, where few ‘poor’ trees were observed, the index increases from Scottish sites to English sites to Dutch sites to German sites. The index is empirical, and not necessarily related to potential effects of air pollution. The time dependence of foliar nutrient content may also be useful in diagnosis. At sites with trees having ‘poor’ crown condition, even apparently healthy trees showed a lack of increase in calcium content with needle age, decreases in nitrogen content and very large decreases in magnesium content with needle age. The results show the importance of sampling several year classes of foliage from Norway spruce trees in determining the nutrient status of the tree.

Forestry and climate change

Drawing together perspectives from researchers and policy makers, this book explores how forests will interact with the physical and natural world, and with human society as the climate changes. Also considered is how the worlds forests can be managed to contribute to the mitigation of climate change and to maximize the full range of economic and non-market benefits. Providing an examination of the science, a detailed consideration of the science policy interface and the international frameworks and conventions, this book is valuable reading for all those interested in sustainable forest management, climate change and the associated environmental sciences.

The relationship between crown condition and soil solution chemistry in oak and Sitka spruce in England and Wales

Abstract In recent years the critical loads concept has become the primary approach for formulating research on pollutant impacts and setting targets for pollution abatements. For forest soils critical loads have been set on the assumption that base cation uptake and tree growth are decreased when ratios of Ca + Mg to Al in soil solution fall below 1.0. Forests have been monitored in the UK since 1984 under EU Air Pollution Regulations and the UN-ECE Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP) in order to identify any pollutant-related decline in forest condition. The soil solution chemistry of six oak and six Sitka spruce plots from these surveys were analysed in the work reported here. (Ca + Mg)/ Al was found to be above 1.0 at all sites in the organic and mineral soil horizons. Large ratios resulted from both large base cation concentrations and generally low Al values. Surprisingly, poorest tree condition (crown density) was associated with large Ca + Mg concentrations and large (Ca + Mg)/ Al for spruce. This correlation contrasts in direction with the relationships between (Ca + Mg)/ Al and tree growth which have been used to calculate forest soil critical loads. However, UK values of this ratio lay entirely above the threshold for damage.

The sustainable management and protection of forests: analysis of the current position globally.

Abstract The loss of forest area globally due to change of land use, the importance of forests in the conservation of biodiversity and in carbon and other biogeochemical cycles, together with the threat to forests from pollution and from the impacts of climate change, place forestry policy and practice at the center of global environmental and sustainability strategy. Forests provide important economic, environmental, social, and cultural benefits, so that in forestry, as in other areas of environmental policy and management, there are tensions between economic development and environmental protection. In this article we review the current information on global forest cover and condition, examine the international processes that relate to forest protection and to sustainable forest management, and look at the main forest certification schemes. We consider the link between the international processes and certification schemes and also their combined effectiveness. We conclude that in some regions of the world neither mechanism is achieving forest protection, while in others local or regional implementation is occurring and is having a significant impact. Choice of certification scheme and implementation of management standards are often influenced by a consideration of the associated costs, and there are some major issues over the monitoring of agreed actions and of the criteria and indicators of sustainability. There are currently a number of initiatives seeking to improve the operation of the international forestry framework (e.g., The Montreal Process, the Ministerial Convention of the Protection of Forests in Europe and European Union actions in Europe, the African Timber Organisation and International Tropical Timber Organisation initiative for African tropical forest, and the development of a worldwide voluntary agreement on forestry in the United Nations Forum on Forests). We suggest that there is a need to improve the connections between scientific understanding, policy development, and forestry practice, and also the cooperation between the various international initiatives and processes, so that the international framework is more effective and its influence is extended geographically.

Third International Congress on Planted Forests: Planted Forests on the Globe - Renewable Resources for the Future

Guest Editorial This Special Issue of the Journal comprises peer-reviewed papers that were submitted following the Third International Congress on Planted Forests. This Congress was organized by the Atlantic Regional Office of the European Forest Institute (EFIATLANTIC), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Union of Foresters of Southern Europe (USSE). The Congress comprised three scientific workshops held in Bordeaux, Dublin and Porto from 15 to 18 May 2013, and one plenary meeting held in Estoril from 20 to 21 May 2013. The Congress was attended by around 200 participants, with more than 60 invited papers from more than 20 countries. The Congress was the third in the series with the first held in Santiago, Chile in 1999, and the second in Wellington, New Zealand in 2003. The Congress focussed on global perspectives on planted forest development, vulnerability and risk management, ecosystem services and landscape restoration, and governance, economics, trade markets and profitability of planted forests. A full summary report drafted by a panel of international experts can be found on the Congress website (http://www.efiatlantic.efi.int/portal/events/past_events/ 2013/icpf/). The Congress noted that the global planted forest area and wood production was continuing to increase, with expansion mainly in Asia, and that planted forests are being increasingly seen as complementary to natural forests and not as a replacement. Global risks were projected to increase both from a changing climate and from socio-economic factors where population pressure is high or there is a high incidence of poverty. It was noted that adaptation strategies to respond to these risks and to mitigate and lessen the damage from these threats were in their infancy. Planted forests are also being seen increasingly as more than just a source of wood and there is increasing recognition of the provisioning, regulating, and cultural services (such as fresh water, clean air, bioenergy, carbon sequestration, biodiversity, or recreation) that these forests provide. Good governance and management standards were emphasised, and the need to think of planted forests as an integral part of the landscape and land-use matrix rather than just alone. Security of tenure and management certainty are critical for long term activities such as forestry, and to ensure the attractiveness of planted forests to investment funds and to encourage a good economic environment for commercial activities. Overall, the outlook for planted forests and their global contribution is positive though major challenges are expected arising from on-going climate change and from increasing socio-economic and environmental impacts. The papers in this special issue provide a permanent record of some of the topics discussed at the Congress. Special thanks go to the editorial and production teams at the New Zealand Journal of Forestry Science for preparing this special issue, and to the numerous anonymous manuscript reviewers for their valuable comments on each of the contributions.