Climate-induced mortality of spruce stands in Belarus
The aim of this work is an analysis of the causes of spruce ( Picea abies L. ) decline and mortality in Belarus. The analysis was based on forest inventory and Landsat satellite (land cover classification, climate variables (air temperature, precipitation, evaporation, vapor pressure deficit, SPEI d...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2015-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/10/12/125006 |
| _version_ | 1797748545159168000 |
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| author | Viacheslav I Kharuk Sergei T Im Maria L Dvinskaya Alexei S Golukov Kenneth J Ranson |
| author_facet | Viacheslav I Kharuk Sergei T Im Maria L Dvinskaya Alexei S Golukov Kenneth J Ranson |
| author_sort | Viacheslav I Kharuk |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The aim of this work is an analysis of the causes of spruce ( Picea abies L. ) decline and mortality in Belarus. The analysis was based on forest inventory and Landsat satellite (land cover classification, climate variables (air temperature, precipitation, evaporation, vapor pressure deficit, SPEI drought index)), and GRACE-derived soil moisture estimation (equivalent of water thickness anomalies, EWTA). We found a difference in spatial patterns between dead stands and all stands (i.e., before mortality). Dead stands were located preferentially on relief features with higher water stress risk (i.e., higher elevations, steeper slopes, south and southwestern exposure). Spruce mortality followed a series of repeated droughts between 1990 and 2010. Mortality was negatively correlated with air humidity ( r = –0.52), and precipitation ( r = –0.57), and positively correlated with the prior year vapor pressure deficit ( r = 0.47), and drought increase ( r = 0.57). Mortality increased with the increase in occurrence of spring frosts ( r = 0.5), and decreased with an increase in winter cloud cover ( r = –0.37). Spruce mortality was negatively correlated with snow water accumulation ( r = –0.81) and previous year anomalies in water soil content ( r = –0.8). Weakened by water stress, spruce stands were attacked by pests and phytopathogens. Overall, spruce mortality in Belarussian forests was caused by drought episodes and drought increase in synergy with pest and phytopathogen attacks. Vast Picea abies mortality in Belarus and adjacent areas of Russia and Eastern Europe is a result of low adaptation of that species to increased drought. This indicates the necessity of spruce replacement by drought-tolerant indigenous (e.g., Pinus sylvestris, Querqus robur ) or introduced (e.g., Larix sp . or Pseudotsuga menzieslii ) species to obtain sustainable forest growth management. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:06:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2beb7eec12dc494685ccfc5f0918a735 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:06:19Z |
| publishDate | 2015-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-2beb7eec12dc494685ccfc5f0918a7352023-08-09T14:18:52ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262015-01-01101212500610.1088/1748-9326/10/12/125006Climate-induced mortality of spruce stands in BelarusViacheslav I Kharuk0Sergei T Im1Maria L Dvinskaya2Alexei S Golukov3Kenneth J Ranson4V N Sukachev Institute of Forest SB RAS, Russia; Siberian Federal University , RussiaV N Sukachev Institute of Forest SB RAS, Russia; Siberian Federal University , Russia; Siberian State Aerospace University , RussiaV N Sukachev Institute of Forest SB RAS, RussiaSiberian Federal University , RussiaNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USAThe aim of this work is an analysis of the causes of spruce ( Picea abies L. ) decline and mortality in Belarus. The analysis was based on forest inventory and Landsat satellite (land cover classification, climate variables (air temperature, precipitation, evaporation, vapor pressure deficit, SPEI drought index)), and GRACE-derived soil moisture estimation (equivalent of water thickness anomalies, EWTA). We found a difference in spatial patterns between dead stands and all stands (i.e., before mortality). Dead stands were located preferentially on relief features with higher water stress risk (i.e., higher elevations, steeper slopes, south and southwestern exposure). Spruce mortality followed a series of repeated droughts between 1990 and 2010. Mortality was negatively correlated with air humidity ( r = –0.52), and precipitation ( r = –0.57), and positively correlated with the prior year vapor pressure deficit ( r = 0.47), and drought increase ( r = 0.57). Mortality increased with the increase in occurrence of spring frosts ( r = 0.5), and decreased with an increase in winter cloud cover ( r = –0.37). Spruce mortality was negatively correlated with snow water accumulation ( r = –0.81) and previous year anomalies in water soil content ( r = –0.8). Weakened by water stress, spruce stands were attacked by pests and phytopathogens. Overall, spruce mortality in Belarussian forests was caused by drought episodes and drought increase in synergy with pest and phytopathogen attacks. Vast Picea abies mortality in Belarus and adjacent areas of Russia and Eastern Europe is a result of low adaptation of that species to increased drought. This indicates the necessity of spruce replacement by drought-tolerant indigenous (e.g., Pinus sylvestris, Querqus robur ) or introduced (e.g., Larix sp . or Pseudotsuga menzieslii ) species to obtain sustainable forest growth management.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/10/12/125006conifer mortalityspruce declinewater stressclimate changedrought stresstree mortality |
| spellingShingle | Viacheslav I Kharuk Sergei T Im Maria L Dvinskaya Alexei S Golukov Kenneth J Ranson Climate-induced mortality of spruce stands in Belarus Environmental Research Letters conifer mortality spruce decline water stress climate change drought stress tree mortality |
| title | Climate-induced mortality of spruce stands in Belarus |
| title_full | Climate-induced mortality of spruce stands in Belarus |
| title_fullStr | Climate-induced mortality of spruce stands in Belarus |
| title_full_unstemmed | Climate-induced mortality of spruce stands in Belarus |
| title_short | Climate-induced mortality of spruce stands in Belarus |
| title_sort | climate induced mortality of spruce stands in belarus |
| topic | conifer mortality spruce decline water stress climate change drought stress tree mortality |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/10/12/125006 |
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