Szymon Bijak

Climate influence on radial increment of oak (Quercus SP.) in central Poland

The study investigates the influence of climate conditions on radial increment of oak, with special concern to the situations when analysed trees formed conspicuously wider or narrower tree-rings. The research material was collected in four locations in central Poland within natural range of pedunculate and sessile oaks. The elaborated residual chronologies were correlated with CRUTS 2.1 climate data. The analyses included thermal and pluvial conditions spanning from April of the year prior to ring formation to September of the current growth year. Special interest was paid to simple water ability index that combined both temperature and precipitation during the vegetation season. Additionally, pointer year analysis was carried out to determine situations when conspicuously smaller or larger increment was formed.Investigated chronologies cover the period of 1927–1992 (Łochów), 1845–1992 (Płońsk), 1868–1992 (Pułtusk), and 1796–1992 (Sokołów). The analysed oaks from sites in central Poland exhibit growth patterns comparable with those known form previous studies concerning that species, where influence of precipitation (higher and positive) and temperature (negative) have been observed. Extreme growth reactions expressed by negative and positive pointer years turned to present high dependence of analysed oak’ growth on water availability during vegetation season.

Tree-Ring Chronology of Silver Fir and Its Dependence on Climate of the Kaszubskie Lakeland (Northern Poland)

Tree-Ring Chronology of Silver Fir and Its Dependence on Climate of the Kaszubskie Lakeland (Northern Poland) The current paper presents investigation of the response of silver firs growing near Kartuzy in the Kaszubskie Lakeland (northern Poland) to climate conditions. Tree-ring width series covering the period of 1914-2006 were built and correlated with mean monthly temperature and precipitation. Dependence of the growth of analysed firs on winter, early spring and summer temperature was observed. Significant relation to moisture availability was detected only for January. Analysis of pointer years revealed similar driving forces that were obtained by correlation and response function investigation. Reaction of firs from the Kaszubskie Lakeland to the extreme climate conditions is analogous to the exhibited at other sites of this species localised outside distribution range. Investigated silver firs seem to have found favourable growth conditions in the studied area and further cultivation of that species in northern Poland may turn to be successful.

CONTRASTING TREE‐RING GROWTH RESPONSE OF PICEA ABIES TO CLIMATE VARIABILITY IN WESTERN AND EASTERN ESTONIA

Abstract Climatic variations and changes regulate arboreal growth. In Estonia, the tree‐ring growth variability of coniferous and deciduous trees has been linked with various climatic variables in different parts of the country. However, the dendroclimatic signals of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H.Karst.) have not been explored across the region. Here we compare the growth variability of this species, growing under various site conditions in Estonia, with records of temperature, precipitation, and indices of the North Atlantic Oscillation over a period of 50 years (1956–2005). Western chronologies correlated positively and significantly (p<0.01) with early‐summer (June) precipitation, while eastern chronologies showed positive and significant (p<0.05) correlation with mid‐winter (January) precipitation. Moreover, the eastern chronologies correlated positively and significantly (p<0.05) with the North Atlantic Oscillation index in January. First, our results indicated that the previously established geobotanical division, rather than forest site types, most probably explains the spatial patterns in spruce growth variability. Second, our findings agreed with the late Quaternary pollen studies showing that the vigour of spruce is limited in the western forests by a combination of climatic (i.e. summer moisture) and edaphic factors. Third, our results complement those of previous investigations, suggesting that the impacts and threats the changing climate will pose on spruce may be different in western and eastern Estonia, with more severe effects envisaged in the western part of the region through drought‐induced physiological stress.

Reconstruction of precipitation variability in Estonia since the eighteenth century, inferred from oak and spruce tree rings

There is plenty of evidence for intensification of the global hydrological cycle. In Europe, the northern areas are predicted to receive more precipitation in the future and observational evidence suggests a parallel trend over the past decades. As a consequence, it would be essential to place the recent trend in precipitation in the context of proxy-based estimates of reconstructed precipitation variability over the past centuries. Tree rings are frequently used as proxy data for palaeoclimate reconstructions. Here we use deciduous (Quercus robur) and coniferous (Picea abies) tree-ring width chronologies from western Estonia to deduce past early-summer (June) precipitation variability since 1771. Statistical model transforming our tree-ring data into estimates of precipitation sums explains 42% of the variance in instrumental variability. Comparisons with products of gridded reconstructions of soil moisture and summer precipitation illustrate robust correlations with soil moisture (Palmer Drought Severity Index), but lowered correlation with summer precipitation estimates prior to mid-nineteenth century, these instabilities possibly reflecting the general uncertainties inherent to early meteorological and proxy data. Reconstructed precipitation variability was negatively correlated to the teleconnection indices of the North Atlantic Oscillation and the Scandinavia pattern, on annual to decadal and longer scales. These relationships demonstrate the positive precipitation anomalies to result from increase in zonal inflow and cyclonic activity, the negative anomalies being linked with the high pressure conditions enhanced during the atmospheric blocking episodes. Recently, the instrumental data have demonstrated a remarkable increase in summer (June) precipitation in the study region. Our tree-ring based reconstruction reproduces this trend in the context of precipitation history since eighteenth century and quantifies the unprecedented abundance of June precipitation over the recent years.

Smukłość drzew w drzewostanach robiniowych

Abstract This paper investigates the slenderness of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) trees in relation to the biosocial status of the trees, stand age class, crown parameters and habitat type. The research material was collected on 35 research plots in the Sława Śląska, Sulechów and Głogów forest districts in western Poland and comprises 1058 trees. For each tree, we measured height (h) as well as diameter at breast height (d) and determined its biosocial status (Kraft class), crown length (CL) and relative crown length (rCL). The age class and habitat type were assessed at the plot level. Because the obtained values for slenderness (s=h/d) diverged significantly from the normal distribution, we used Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests to investigate the influence of the above-mentioned parameters on the h/d ratio. Black locust slenderness ranged from 0.31 to 1.95 with an average of 0.91 (standard deviation 0.24). It furthermore differed significantly between Kraft classes (the higher the biosocial status, the lower the slenderness) and age classes (the older the trees, the lower their slenderness). We also found a significant effect of the habitat type (in oligotrophic sites trees formed more slender trunks than in mesotrophic sites) and crown parameters on the h/d ratio (decreasing with increasing crown length and relative crown length). The obtained results suggest that the slenderness of black locust does not differ substantially from native broadleaved trees in Poland.

Selected properties of organic soils under boreal mire spruce forest in the Romincka Forest, NE Poland

Abstract The paper presents selected properties of the organic soils developed in boreal mire spruce forests (Sphagno girensohnii-Piceetum) in the Romincka Forest (NE Poland). Additionally, the relationship between soil fertility and forest stand productivity was investigated. Data from 12 soil profiles, differing in terms of peatland ecological type (raised bog, transitional bog and fen) was used. The significance of the differences in soil properties among peatland types was assessed with the Kruskal-Wallis test. Soil fertility was described using soil trophic index (SIGo), whereas stand productivity according to site index (SI) value. The properties of the analysed soils varied significantly in terms of peatland type. Soils from fens were more fertile (SIGo 25–31), less acidic (pH > 5.7), with lower total potential acidity (36–40 cmol(+)·kg−1), higher base saturation (77–79%), Ca2+ content (116–136 cmol(+)·kg−1) and base exchange capacity (123–145 cmol(+)·kg−1) than soils from transition or raised bogs. No significant effect of soil fertility on the site index of stands growing on analysed soils was observed (r = 0.385, p = 0.216).

Occurrence of black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) in the State Forests in Poland

Abstract Among the invasive tree species identified in Polish forests, black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) appears to pose the greatest threat. The objective of this study was i), to determine the abundance of this species in the forests managed by the State Forests National Forest Holding (PGLLP) and ii), to characterise the ecological conditions that it is found in. The source data was obtained from the State Forests Information System (SILP) database. In Polish forests, black cherry mostly occurs as an understory plant and is present in a total area of 99,185 hectares, which is 1.4% of the forest area under the management of the PGLLP. Although Prunus serotina can be found within a wide range of habitats, it most commonly occurs on sites that can be considered average in terms of fertility (mixed coniferous and mixed deciduous types) developed primarily on rusty soils (podzols).

Accuracy of smartphone applications in the field measurements of tree height

Abstract As tree height is one of the important variables measured in forestry, much effort is made to provide its fast, easy and accurate determination. We analysed precision of two widely available smartphone applications (Smart Measure and Measure Height) during the field measurements of tree height. The data was collected in three Scots pine stands in central Poland. We found negative systematic error of both tested applications regardless the distance of the measurement (15 or 20 m). RMSE values of the height estimates varied from 1.01 to 2.46 m depending on the application used and the distance of the measurement. Value of the calculated absolute and relative errors significantly (p < 0.015) positively depended on the actual height of the measured trees and was more diverse for higher trees. Smartphone applications seem to be promising measurement tool for tree height determination, however as for the time being they require improvement before wider introduction into the forest practice.