Abstract
Dendroecological techniques have been employed in several studies to assess the effects of acidic deposition on tree growth. However, some of these studies have not evaluated the roles of other determinants of tree growth (ontogeny, stand development, competition, climate, soil-site Variation) and therefore have not been able to adequately test hypotheses regarding the role of acidic deposition. In this study, detailed stem analysis was used to obtain complete historical records of terminal and radial growth patterns for trees of three species of plantation-grown conifers, representing a spectrum of potential susceptibility to acidic deposition effects. Analyses indicate that long-term variation in growth of the sample trees is related to stand dynamics and climatic factors, and there is little evidence of any long-term trend of diminished growth that might be related to acidic deposition effects. These results emphasize the importance of evaluating the roles of natural determinants of growth before inferences are made concerning the effects of acidic deposition, particularly in relatively young, second-growth forests.
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© 1987 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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LeBlanc, D.C., Raynal, D.J., White, E.H. (1987). Dendroecological Analysis of Acidic Deposition Effects on Forest Productivity. In: Hutchinson, T.C., Meema, K.M. (eds) Effects of Atmospheric Pollutants on Forests, Wetlands and Agricultural Ecosystems. NATO ASI Series, vol 16. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-70874-9_21
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-70874-9_21
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