Magnesium Deficiency in Forest Ecosystems

✍ Scribed by H.-P. Ende, F. H. Evers (auth.), Reinhard F. Hüttl, Wolfgang Schaaf (eds.)

• Publisher: Springer Netherlands
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 366
• Series: Nutrients in Ecosystems 1
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

R. F. HUTTL AND W. SCHAAF Brandenburg Technical University Cottbus, Chair of Soil Protection and Recultivation, P.O. Box 10 13 44, 03013 Cottbus, Germany The health status of forest trees and stands is determined by numerous site factors such as chemical, physical, and biological soil factors, water supply, climate, weather conditions, management history as well as atmospheric deposition impacts. In this context, the nutrient supply is an important evaluation parameter. Forest trees well supplied with nutrients are more resistant to stresses that affect the forest ecosystem than other trees. This is true for both biotic and abiotic influences. Therefore the investigation of the so-called 'new type forest damage' was aimed at the exact determination of the health status of damaged trees. When considering the complete forest ecosystem, health (=vitality) means the sustainable ability to withstand negative environmental influences and still remain stable and productive. From this viewpoint, an optimal nutritional status is a prerequisite for an optimal health status. The term 'new type forest damage' comprises a number of damage symptoms which have been observed in various tree species on very different sites since the mid-1970s, particularly in Europe and North America. However, they occurred much more intensively in the 1980s. Generally, this forest damage was thought to be related to negative impacts of air pollutants.

✦ Table of Contents

Front Matter....Pages i-xvi
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
Visual magnesium deficiency symptoms (coniferous, deciduous trees) and threshold values (foliar, soil)....Pages 3-21
Temporal and spatial development of magnesium deficiency in forest stands in Europe, North America and New Zealand....Pages 23-64
Front Matter....Pages 65-65
Biogeochemistry of magnesium in forest ecosystems....Pages 67-99
Tree physiology....Pages 101-214
Influence of magnesium supply on tree growth....Pages 215-226
Causes of magnesium deficiency in forest ecosystems....Pages 227-251
Front Matter....Pages 253-253
Soil chemistry....Pages 255-273
Tree nutrition....Pages 275-296
Structural aspects of magnesium deficiency....Pages 297-307
Fine-root development....Pages 309-332
Evaluation of different magnesium fertilization strategies....Pages 333-355
Concluding remarks....Pages 357-362

✦ Subjects

Ecology; Forestry; Soil Science & Conservation