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LARGE-SCALE MONITORING
Joseph E. Barnard, Program Manager
NATIONAL VEGETATION SURVEY
Forestry Sciences Laboratory
Southeastern Forest Experiment Station
P.O. Box 12254
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
ABSTRACT
The need to begin monitoring and visible symptom identification
on forest trees is evident. Monitoring of forests can be defined
as the long-term, periodic measurement of selected physical and
biological parameters for establishing baselines, that is, for
determining the extent and magnitude of current conditions for
specified forest values, and for detecting and quantifying change
over time. Within the Forest Response Program, the National
Vegetation Survey (NVS) is responsible for survey and monitoring
of U.S. forests. Four general categories of research are underway
in the NVS: (l) Dendrochronology, (2) Mensuration and Statistics,
(3) Mapping and Geographic Information Systems, and (4)
Monitoring. Results of several NVS projects are discussed.
Research is underway to develop and implement appropriate
inventory techniques to assess the current health of forest trees
and stands. This includes evaluations of procedures to identify
and rate specific kinds of air pollution damage on forest trees,
field plot measurement procedures and techniques, remote sensing
applications, soil and moisture rating procedures, and the
assessment of current impact of air pollutants on species with
known visible symptoms. As an aid for identifying locations where
there may be air pollution impacts, a Geographic Information
System has been developed for the South to provide information
on forest resources, climate, soils, and atmospheric depostition.
Existing inventory data and procedures, while providing
important insights, have not met present analytical needs. Now
we have an opportunity to design and perhaps implement a
monitoring program as a legacy of research on the effects of
acidic deposition on forests. This opportunity will involve an
effort to identify and coordinate all aspects of forest condition
monitoring.
There is continuing interest in the assessment of the condition and trends of the
Nation's natural resources (Barnard et al., 1985~. Monitoring of forests can be defined
as the long-term, periodic measurement of selected physical and biological parameters for
establishing baselines and to detect and quantify change over time. With
monitoring, we can determine the extent and magnitude of current conditions for
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specified forest values in relation to natural
plausible cause-effect hypotheses to explain these observations, and
management or regulatory actions where appropriate.
and anthronoŁenic stresses, generate
suggest
When the National Vegetation Survey (NVS) began in 1985, those involved in the
planning of the research effort recognized:
a. The limitations imposed by time and funding.
b. The extent of the forest area in question.
acres needed to be considered.
The European literature and personal communications indicated that radial
growth declines had preceded the appearance of visible symptoms of foliage
loss and/or discoloration in the crowns of most of the species being studied.
d. The lack of a clearly defined or recognized visible symptomatology for
atmospheric pollutant damage to most eastern United States forests or
individual trees.
e. The availability of a number of extensive remeasured plot or increment core
data sets for much of the forested area of concern.
c.
Probably more than 300 million
They also were aware that scientists had observed foliar damage, unexplained
decline, and death of trees of various species in the eastern United States and were
raising the concern that atmospheric pollutants were involved. Thus, it seemed
appropriate that the initial research should focus on the evaluation of existing data
and be conducted in such a manner that early results would guide the future direction of
the studies (Barnard, 1986~. Four general categories of research were followed:
(1 ) Dendrochronology, (2) Mapping and Geographic Information Systems, (3) Mensuration
and Statistics, and (4) Monitoring. Progress in each of these areas of research is such
that we are now revisiting the issue of additional field work to describe more fully the
current health (especially the visible component) of the eastern U.S. forest
resource. The availability of the manual, for Diagnosing Injury To Eastern Forest
Trees (Skelly et al., 1987), as well as further experience by inventory experts in the
United States and Europe were important factors in this decision.
RESULTS OF STUDIES IN THE NATIONAL VEGETATION SURVEY
A brief discussion of the results of
several studies conducted by
investigators with NVS funding is appropriate to this discussion. Since monitoring
is the specific topic of interest, I will limit the discussion to information related to
that subject.
Den dro chronology
Researchers in the NVS have been using the techniques of dendrochronology (and
developing more powerful statistical applications) to enable the evaluation of
evidence for change in the growth patterns of a number of eastern tree species. The
effort has concentrated on New York and the New England region with some
additional studies of spruce and loblolly pine in the South.
O Research studies conducted by Hornbeck, Smith and Federer (1986), Federer
and Hornbeck (1987) and Van Deusen (1987) have identified a definite
decline since 1960 in the basal area growth rate of second-growth stands (age 60-75
years) of red spruce and balsam fir growing at elevations less than 700 m
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~9
throughout New England and New York. In-depth analysis of the data and
comparison to published findings in the mid-1920s has identified stand
dynamics as the major factor in the growth rate change. Although these analyses
have not completely eliminated the possible role of atmospheric pollutants, THEY
HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT THE DECREASE IN BASAL AREA INCREMENT OVER
THE PAST 20 TO 25 YEARS IS EXPLICABLE AT LEAST IN PART BY NATURAL
GROWTH PROCESSES.
Research using increment cores collected throughout New England has
demonstrated that ALL MAJOR FOREST TREE SPECIES EXCEPT BALSAM FIR AND
RED SPRUCE ARE CURRENTLY GROWING AT RATES THAT EQUAL OR EXCEED
THE RATES PRIOR TO 1960 (Hornbeck, Smith and Federer, 1986~.
A more rigorous statistical procedure (the Kalman filter) has been successfully
applied to the analysis of tree ring data (Van Deusen, 1987~.
Mapping and Geographic Information Systems
Scientists in the NVS are using this
potentially interrelated data on a common base.
capability to store and display
O The Southern Atlas, consisting of four specific data bases, is in place and is
being used to address issues related to the research needs of the Southern
Commercial Forest Research Cooperative. The system is designed to be responsive
to direction by researchers with specific information needs related to vegetation,
climate, soils, and atmospheric deposition in particular regions. Currently
the data base is complete for Georgia and North and South Carolina. Data for
the remaining southern states are being input as rapidly as possible.
The location and condition of all the spruce/fir stands in the southern Appalachian
Mountains are stored in the GIS. Maps and appropriate data summaries are
prepared and made available on a regular basis.
The GIS contains the location and local land-use description of all atmospheric
monitoring stations in the South. These data have been used to define procedures
and to address other questions specific to the use of air pollution and deposition
data for evaluation of forest conditions in the South.
Mensuration and Statistics
Researchers in the NVS have been analyzing data collected according to standard
forest mensurational procedures and techniques. Using statistical procedures to assist in
the identification of the distribution patterns of these biological data, they apply the
rules of probability to the evaluation of the data. Specific applications have included the
deposition gradient studies in Pennsylvania and the North Central region, the
Southeastern Stations Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data base, and the
southwide softwood remeasurement data base. Each of the above data bases is in place
and currently undergoing specific statistical evaluation. There have been some findings
of a preliminary nature, but major results are anticipated later this year.
O Statistical analysis and modeling of the FIA data set has assisted in the
clarification of hypotheses regarding the stand development factors and associated
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changes in stand growth patterns for loblolly pine (Sheffield et al., 1985 and
Knight, 1987~. Recent, more rigorous statistical analyses have verified the earlier
finding of a significant difference in the growth of natural loblolly pine in the
Piedmont region of Georgia and North and South Carolina between the last two
decades. A study nearing completion will identify the significant factors, either
natural or anthropogenic, associated with the change.
Analyses of data from the
two gradient studies
are moving toward
completion and several manuscripts have been prepared. One manuscript
describes a sulphur gradient in the forest soils that corresponds to the
deposition gradient for that region.
Monitoring
Since the NVS began, scientists have been keenly aware of the need to
monitor the forest resource with respect to its condition or health status. Although
existing inventory activities enabled some level of comparison analysis, it was not
possible to make the detailed statistical evaluations needed to define and identify
probable causes. While defining and identifying what a monitoring effort should include,
researchers also identified other specific procedural and measurement needs which
have been addressed. The most significant of these was the documentation of
atmospheric deposition symptoms on trees.
O A manual with over 100 color plates showing recognized air pollution damage
symptoms on trees and indications of other nonpollutant stresses that may
produce similar symptoms has been prepared by a panel of experts and is now
available for use by scientists, foresters, pathologists, and other interested
individuals. A German translation of the text and figures has been prepared and is
in the printing process.
Remotely-sensed data from a satellite thematic mapper is being evaluated for its
potential as an early indicator of stress that may be induced by atmospheric
pollutants in forest trees. This summer, photographic representations of
selected bands from the TM scenes are being evaluated at the intensive research
sites of the Spruce/Fir Research Cooperative by field crews familiar with the
forest conditions at each site. Evaluation of results is anticipated early this fall.
A bioindicator survey for ozone injury in natural loblolly pine stands in the
Piedmont of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia was conducted (Chappelka
et al., 1986~. The study identified and clarified the plants (both trees and
shrubs) most likely to be of value as indicators in future survey or monitoring work
in the Piedmont. However, as Jones and Heck have noted in Worf ( 1980),
plants used as bioindicators do not serve as monitors as I have defined
monitoring in this paper. They are indicators of pollution presence above some
threshold level.
A series of plots has been established in the spruce/fir forests of New England and
New York and repeated visits by trained pathologists and entomologists are
ongoing to identify and describe the development of damage symptoms on
individual trees (Miller-Weeks et al., 1987~. Whenever possible, the cause of
such damage is being identified and documented. The European and an
American visual damage assessment procedure are being used as part of this
study. They provide a baseline and some data for comparison to survey data being
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distributed by the UN-ECE annual forest damage survey. The third series of
measurements is underway this field season. No specific air pollution related
damage symptoms have been identified thus far In the study.
DISCUSSION
Research is underway to develop and implement appropriate inventory
techniques to assess the current health of forest trees and stands. This includes
evaluations of procedures to identify and rate specific kinds of air pollution damage on
forest trees, field plot measurement procedures and techniques, remote sensing
applications, soil and moisture rating procedures, and the assessment of current impact of
air pollutants on species with known visible symptoms. The manual for diagnosing
visible symptoms is published. The Spruce Symptomatology study has established baseline
information on visual symptoms occurring in these forest stands. Some contrasts
have been noted between red spruce in the US and spruce data from Europe.
Atmospheric deposition monitoring has identified regional gradients in the
deposition of a number of species of air pollutants. Several such gradients are being
studied to identify possible impacts of such deposition on forest growth and soil
chemical properties. There are two studies sponsored by the NVS, one across western and
central Pennsylvania and the other across Minnesota and Michigan, to evaluate
the impact of sulphur deposition on growth of trees in the forests of those areas.
Data collection and laboratory analysis is completed and analysis are underway.
Publications presenting initial results of the analysis of these data are prepared.
One manuscript discusses the verification of a sulphur gradient in the forest soil
that corresponds to the atmospheric sulphur deposition gradient for the region.
-
. .
With the implementation of the GIS Atlas for the South, researchers can make use
of the system on an as needed basis. They can develop maps that describe the
vegetation, climate, soils, and atmospheric deposition patterns for specific areas of
interest. In this way it is possible to identify locations where the potential for air
pollution impacts on forest vegetation is greatest. This will guide the development of
monitoring activities as well as focusing research on damage appraisal and growth
changes.
The need to begin monitoring and visible symptom identification on forest trees is
evident. The study of incremental growth in trees has not identified a measurable
pollutant-related response. Inventory data and procedures, while providing important
insights, have not met present analytical needs of researchers in the Forest Response
Program. We realize that part of this problem was due to the original design of the
inventories involved. Now we have an opportunity to design and perhaps implement a
monitoring program as a legacy of research on the effects of acidic deposition on
forests. A proposal for a substantial research effort to identify and correlate all aspects
of forest condition monitoring into an implementable package has been developed and
will be reviewed later this summmer prior to its circulation as a request for research
proposals.
REFERENCES
Barnard, J.E. 1986. National Vegetation Survey/Forest Response Program. In Proceedings,
Fourth regional technical conference, Appalachian Society of American Foresters:
Atmospheric deposition and forest productivity. Raleigh, NC, January 29-31, 1986.
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Barnard, J., Myers, W., Pearce, I., Ramsey, F., Siisenwine, M. and Smith, W. 1985.
Surveys for monitoring changes and trends in renewable resources: forests and
marine fisheries. American Statistician 39~4~: 363-373.
Chappelka, A.H., Chevone, B.I., Brown, H.D. and Anderson, R.L. 1986. Bioindicator
survey for ozone injury in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina [Abstract]
Phytopathology 76~10) No. 222:1085.
Federer, C. Anthony and Hornbeck, James W. 1987. Expected decrease in diameter
growth of even-aged red spruce. Canadian Journal Forest Research 17:266-269.
Hornbeck, James W., Smith, Robert B. and Fecierer, C. Anthony. 1986. Growth decline in
red spruce and balsam fir relative to natural processes. Water, Air, and Soil
Pollution 3 1:425-430.
Miller-Weeks, M., Millers, I., and Cooke, R. 1987. Description of crown symptoms on red
spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) and balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) in the
Northeastern United States - A Progress Report. In Proceedings of the effects of
atmospheric pollution on spruce and fir forests in the eastern United States and
the Federal Renublic of Germany; Burlington, VT. October 19-23, 1987. (in press).
Knight, Herbert A. 1987. The pine decline. Journal of Forestry 85~1~:25-28.
Sheffield, R.M., Cost, N.D., Bechtold, W.A., and McClure, J.P. 1985. Pine Growth
reductions in the Southeast. USDA For. Serv. Resource Bull. SE- 83. U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southeastern Forest Experiment Station.
Asheville, NC. 112 pp.
Skelly, J. M., Davis, D. D., Merrill, W., Cameron, E. A., Brown, H. D., Drummond, D. B.,
and Dochinger, L. S. 1987. Diagnosing injury to eastern forest trees: A manual for
identifying damage caused by air pollution, pathogens, insects, and abiotic stresses.
The Pennsylvania State University, College of Agriculture, University Park, PA. 120
PPe
Van Deusen, Paul C. 1987. Testing for stand dynamics effects on red spruce growth
trends. Canadian Journal Forest Research 17:1487-1495.
Worf, Douglas L. 1980. Biological Monitoring for Environmental Effects.
Lexington Books, D.C. Heath and Company. Lexington, MA. 227 pp.
Representative terms from entire chapter:
forest trees
