Untersuchungen über den Zusammenhang zwischen Schädigungsgrad und Meereshöhe im Rahmen des Schwerpunktprogramms zur Erforschung der Wechselwirkungen von Klima und Waldschäden

Investigations were conducted within the framework of the research program focusing on interrelationships between climate and forest damages. - Tree species distribution at Wank (74 % Norway spruce, 15 % pine, 8 % fir, and 3 % broadleaved species) shows that spruce stands predominate. This is no disadvantage when the reference character of spruce in view of the forest decline investigations is considered. - The level of forest decline is high, with 55 % of the trees moderately (damage class 2) and 14 % severely affected (damage class 3). Almost one-fifth of all trees is severely damaged; more than two-thirds are showing distinctly weakened vitality. - The slightly higher damage percentages (5 percentage points) for locations exposed to the west confirm an already earlier observed trend. - Higher damages between 900 and 1200 m, and at approximately 1600 m above sea level, respectively, already observed in 1983, were not only just confirmed in 1986 for the Wank observation area; differences, on the contrary, are so distinct that they are statistically significant. Increased vitality losses found at altitudes between 1000 and 1200 m are highly significant (highest level); but also the second peak at an elevation between 1400 and 1600 m above sea level is statistically significant. - These findings and the fact that stable air strata (inversion layers) are frequently found at these altitudes suggest that the altitude-dependent vitality differences might be connected with increased ozone-caused stress.