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Intra-annual growth response of adult Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] KARST.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) to an experimentally enhanced, free-air ozone regime

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Abstract

Several findings indicate an impact of ozone on stem diameter growth leaving the question unanswered, if and how the intra-annual growth pattern is changed. In this study the hypotheses are tested, that (1) ozone will alter the absolute growth and (2) alter and shift the period of growth activity within a year. Our data originates from the free air ozone fumigation experiment ‘Kranzberger Forst’ in a mixed stand of Norway spruce and common beech near Freising/Germany. Annual and intra-annual growth reactions of a sample of five adult beech and five spruce trees, exposed to double ambient ozone were examined and compared to the same number of untreated reference trees. Diameter increments were measured with plastic diameter girth bands and high-resolution, automatically logging micro-dendrometers, mounted at breast height (1.3 m). We used the increment data from the growth periods 2000 to 2005. The high-resolution micro-dendrometer data were examined by fitting a Weibull function to the standardized annual growth profiles to obtain curve parameters for statistical tests. We estimated the parameters ‘T’ which represents the point of time, when 63% of the annual diameter increment is performed and the parameter ‘m’, the Weibull module, which was used as an indicator for the span of time needed to complete the annual growth. The statistical significance of these curve parameters, together with the absolute diameter increment, was tested by use of mixed regression models. The analysis of the growth curve parameters revealed a significantly altered intra-annual growth pattern of both species induced by ozone. Spruce under ozone showed reduced absolute annual diameter increment and a preponed growth activity compared to untreated trees. Beech’s absolute diameter increment was not affected under ozone, but its growth activity was delayed. For both species, ozone fumigation did not alter the individual length of the annual growing season. These results are discussed with respect to drought, tree ring anatomy and tree allometry. The study shows that ozone is able to change growth behaviour of trees even if increment losses are not obvious.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to express their gratitude to the German Research foundation (DFG) for providing funds for forest growth and yield research as part of the collaborative research centre SFB 607 “Growth and Parasite Defence”. Additionally they wish to express their gratitude to H. Werner and C. Heerdt for their steady care for the ozone fumigation and monitoring system in the “Kranzberger Forst” experimental station and to Gerhard Schütze for recording tree dimensions. Additionally the authors would like to thank Mr. Iain Cottontail for language revision.

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  1. Lehrstuhl für Waldwachstumskunde, Faculty of Forest Science and Resource Management, Technische Universität München, Am Hochanger 13, 85354, Freising, Germany

    Philip Wipfler, Thomas Seifert, Peter Biber & Hans Pretzsch

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  1. Philip Wipfler
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  2. Thomas Seifert
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  3. Peter Biber
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  4. Hans Pretzsch
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Correspondence to Philip Wipfler.

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Communicated by A. Roloff.

This article belongs to the special issue "Growth and defence of Norway spruce and European beech in pure and mixed stands".

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Wipfler, P., Seifert, T., Biber, P. et al. Intra-annual growth response of adult Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] KARST.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) to an experimentally enhanced, free-air ozone regime. Eur J Forest Res 128, 135–144 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-008-0255-1

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