Proceedings of The Fourth International & Russia Conference 839

Study of and Root of Healthy and Unhealthy (Fagus orientalis)”

S. Gh. A. Jalali, P.O.Box 46414. Forestry Dept. Tarbiat Modarres Univ. Noor, Mazandaran, Iran

Abstract: In order to investigate on beech decline three a homogenous stands were selected in northern forests of Iran. For this intention, 28 healthy and unhealthy beech were selected and some of their were taken from the middle parts of crown. The leaf samples were analyzed to determine the macro (N, P, K, Ca, and Mg) and micro (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and Br) nutrient elements. The roots of 22 healthy and unhealthy (d.b.h. < 10 cm), excavated in a volume of 1 m3 soil located under the crown, were selected to examine the dry weight. The results showed that the amount of N, P, K, Br and Cu were lower in unhealthy trees but the deficiency was not much high to influence on beech mortality. There was no deficiency in other elements. Mean dry weight of roots (per 1 m3 soil) in healthy and unhealthy trees was 12 and 9.9 kg, respectively. A negative significant correlation was found between crown wilting and root dry weight (R = 96%).

Keywords: leaf, root, unhealthy trees, Beech (Fagus orientali), decline.

Introduction: The forest under study is located between 53, 14º and 53, 39º latitude and 36, 15º and 36, 35º altitude and elevation about 1000 m. The Minimum and Maximum annual temperature is –10 ºC and 41 ºC; with a mean annual of 15.7 ºC, and the mean annual precipitation is 950 mm. Generally, 25% of the Iranian beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) forests are located in the northern forests of Iran. In recent years, crown wilting of the beeches was observed in a number of areas. As a whole, sever drought reduces tree growth and the size of leaves, and can cause the falling of leaves and dying of shoots and small branches (Abets, 1988, Innes, 1993, Skelly, 1998). Air pollution causes deformation, falling of leaves and crown wilting (Nilsson, 1991). Decreasing and increasing the soil elements may create problems, especially the increase of nitrogen, sulfur and heavy metals (Formard, 1996). In addition, there is a positive relationship between the amount of carbon dioxide in soil and the decline in the roots (Norby, 1996). It can be said that beech needs a soil with more calcium and potassium. It shows a good reflex to N, P, K, Ca fertilizers (Habibi, 1993). Generally, rolling of leaves in broadleaf is due to drought, not to nutrition condition (Bernier, 1989). Changing the color of leaves is one of the important symptoms of decline forest. For the beech leaves it is due to deficiency of some materials in soil (Innes, 1993). There are three states for a specific species and element for growth: optimal state (with maximum grows), critical state (with lesser growth) and deficiency state (with sever less of growth and symptoms of deficiency and disturbance in tree), (Formard, 1996). The state of tree nutrition is one of the important mean for distinguish growth condition and healthy of trees. In addition to

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deficiency and excess of materials may be make a problem too, especially the amount of nitrogen, sulfur and heavy metals. Some of materials as N, P, K and Mn are very mobile and changing in during of time, but Mn is immobile (Helmisari, 1990). N problem for trees appears when the amount of a specified material is lower than the necessary ones. This may be appeared by N deficiency in unhealthy trees. The N/P ratio is a good means for diagnosis disturbance in nutrition of trees. This ratio is higher in unhealthy trees than in healthy trees (Mohren, 1986). Excessive N causes the decrease of other nutritional elements and the increase of insect activity. In chlorotic trees with high Ammonium, the amount of N, C and Zn is higher than those in healthy trees (Van Dijk and Roelofs, 1989). Air pollution effects amount of leaf material. In sever air pollution the amount of Sulfur of needle is several times (Maternal, 1982). In Netherlands the amount of sulfur of beech leaves was 15-27% (Greszta, 1989). As a whole the amount of Sulfur can’t an index for indicating the healthy of tree (Innes and Boswell, 1989). With increase of k/zn ratio the color of leaf become yellow (huttle, 1990). Reduction of P causes the increase of K and defoliation (Huttle, 1990). The relation between soil carbon dioxide and root death is significant and positive (Norby, 1996). Regarding to above matters this research is decided to examine the nutrient availability of the leaf and biomass of root in healthy and unhealthy Fagus orientalis trees in the beech stands of north of Iran.

Material and methods: To investigate on beech decline in Northern Forests of Iran, three homogenous beech stands were selected. For this purpose, in total 28 healthy and unhealthy beech trees were chosen and their leaves were taken from the middle parts of the crown. The leaf samples were analyzed to determine the macro (N, P, K, Ca, and Mg) and micro (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and Br) nutrient elements. Likewise, the roots of 22 healthy and unhealthy beech trees, with a diameter breast height smaller than 10 cm, excavated in a volume of 1 m3 under the tree crown, were selected to examine the dry weight. The leaf and root samples were dried in oven (70 °C for 48 hours), ground and chemically analyzed. Macro and micro materials of leaves, as well as roots, were determined and compared with each other. Data was analyzed by One-Way –Analyses of Variance and compared by T-test.

Results and Conclusion: The results showed that the amount of P, N, K, Br and Cu were lower in unhealthy trees in comparison to healthy ones, but the deficiency was not so high to effect on beech mortality(tab.1). Likewise, no deficiency of other elements could be detected. Mean root dry weight of healthy and unhealthy trees was in the order 12 and 9.9 kg per 1 mз soil, where the mean wet weight was found to be 20.4 and 14.5 kg, respectively(tab.2). A reverse remarkable correlation was found between crown wilting and root dry weight (R = 96%)(fig.1).

References: Abets, P., 1988: Untersuchungen zum wach stum von buchen auf der schwabishen Alb. Algemeine Forst- und jagdzeeitung 159. Bernier, B., 1989: Natural stresses, nutrient imbalances and forest decline in Quebec. Water, Air and Soil pollution 48,239-250.

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Burton, K.W., 1983: The influence of heavy metals upon the growth of Sitka spruce in South Wales Forests, and soil 73, 327-336. Formard, F., 1996:Results of research into decay of the fir in the Pyrenees, Berlin, Springer Verlag, 109-122. Greszta, J., 1989: Evaluation of damage to mountain forests in Poland, Air pollution and Forest decline, Birmensdorf, 41-50. Habibi,H., 1996, Fundamental of forest soil science, Tehran Univ. Publication,424p. Helmisaari, H.S., 1990,Temporal variation in nutrient concentrations of Pinus sylvesteris needles, Scandinavian Journal of Forest research 5, 177-193. Huttl, R.F., 1990: Nutrient supply and fertilizer experiments in view of N saturation, Plant and Soil 128,45-58. Innes, J.L., 1993: The climatic sensitivity of temperate forests, Environmental Pollution, London. Innes, J.L. and Boswell, R.C.,1989:Sulphur contents of conifer needles in great Britain, Geo Journal 19, 63-66. Maternal,J., 1982: Concentration of Sulfur dioxide in the air and Sulfur contain in Norway Spruce seedlings. Communications Institute Forestalls Cechosloveniae 12,137-146. Mohren, G.M., 1986: Phosphorus deficiency induced by nitrogen input in Douglas fir in the Netherlands, Plant and Soil95, 191-200. Nilson.S.,1991: Possible market effects of forest decline attributed to air pollutants in Europe. Report ECE, TIM, 57. Norby, R.J., 1996: Productivity and Compensatory responses of yellow poplar trees in Elevated co, Nature357, 322-324. Skelly,J.M., 1987: Diagnosing injury to eastern forest trees. Pennsylvania University. Van Dijk and Roelofs, 1989: Effect of airborne ammonium on natural vegetation and forests, Forest health, 266-276.

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