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Acidic Deposition and Tree Growth: I. The Use of Stem Analysis to Study Historical Growth Patterns¹

ABSTRACT

Radial growth of three coniferous tree species, representing an assumed spectrum of susceptibility to acidic deposition effects on cation leaching, was analyzed by detailed stem analysis to determine if a decline in growth, unrelated to natural determinants of growth, has occurred since the 1950s. Various measures of tree growth derived from detailed stem analysis are shown to be very useful in assessing tree growth responses to environmental factors. Correlations between breast height and whole-stem analysis data were highly variable and generally poor for two of three species studied. Species/site groups identified as potentially more susceptible to acidic deposition effects exhibited synchronous decreases in growth after 1960, but the initiation of decreased growth was coincident with documented climatic anomalies (drought and winter temperatures) and cannot be directly attributed to acidic deposition effects. Quantitative dendroclimatological analyses are necessary to assess the relationship between these episodes of decreased growth and climatic variables before the role of potential acidic deposition-mediated effects can be evaluated. The role of acidic deposition in the observed growth declines cannot be discounted based on our analyses. However, tenable alternative hypotheses involving the action of natural determinants of growth (climate and maturation) are presented.

Key Words: Dendroecology • Stand history • Growth layer profile

¹ Contribution of the State Univ. of New York College of Environ. Sci. and Forestry, Syracuse, NY 13210. This project was supported by funds from the USDA McIntire-Stennis Program, the New York State Energy Res. and Development Authority, and the Empire State Electric Energy Res. Corp.

² Research scientist, Holcomb Res. Inst., Butler Univ., Indianapolis, IN 46208; professor and professor of forest soils, SUNY Coll. Environ. Sci. and Forestry, Syracuse, NY 13210.

Received for publication October 28, 1986.

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