Lietuvoje iki 90% energijos gamybai naudojamos biomasės sudaro mediena. Iš miško išvežant visas miško kirtimo atliekas, o ne paliekant natūraliam suirimui, maisto medžiagų nuostoliai miško ekosistemoje padidėja iki 5 kartų. Kompensuojamasis miškų tręšimas medienos kuro pelenais – tai vienas iš būdų grąžinti maisto medžiagas į miško ekosistemą. Darbe įvertintas kompensuojamojo tręšimo medienos kuro pelenais diferencijuotas ir kompleksinis (kartu su azotu) poveikis brukninių pušynų gyvosios dirvožemio dangos struktūrai bei biomasės cheminei sudėčiai. Pirmą kartą Lietuvoje tiriamas ilgalaikio tręšimo azotu bei didelių azoto dozių poveikis brukninių pušynų, augančių nederlinguose smėlžemiuose, gyvosios dirvožemio dangos rūšių sudėčiai bei gausumui. Nustatytas foninių azoto iškritų sąlygotas nitrofilinių augalų rūšių išplitimas brukninių pušynų (Vaccinio-Pinetum) gyvojoje dirvožemio dangoje. Ištirtas miško ekosistemos edifikatorių konkurencinis poveikis rizosferoje: dirvožemio drėgniui, pH bei cheminei sudėčiai, žolių/krūmokšnių padengimui bei biomasei, gyvosios dirvožemio dangos dominanto bruknės (Vaccinium vitis-idea L.) biomasei bei biomasės cheminei sudėčiai. Atlikti tyrimai leidžia daryti išvadas, kad samanų rūšims tiek medienos kuro pelenų, tiek azoto poveikis yra neigiamas, tuo tarpu žolių/krūmokšnių rūšims – teigiamas. Visgi, azoto poveikis žolių/krūmokšnių rūšims priklauso ne tik nuo dozės, bet ir nuo patekimo į miško ekosistemą dažnio. Brukniniuose pušynuose... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / In Lithuania the energy production from the forest wood comprises up to 90% of the total biomass derived energy. Increasing use of wood fuel increases the removal of the plant essential nutrients from the ecosystem because the branches, tops and needles/leaves contain relatively higher amount of the nutrients than stems. If to compare with the removal of the stems-only, the nutrient losses from the forest ecosystem increase up to 5 times. One way to return nutrients to the ecosystem is to apply forest fuel waste – wood ash - as fertilizers. In this study the effects of the differential wood ash fertilization and ash fertilization in complex with nitrogen on the ground vegetation structure (species composition, abundance), biomass and chemical composition in Pinus sylvestris stands (forest type – Vaccinio-Pinetum) was estimated. For the first time, the long-term impact of nitrogen as well the influence of the high nitrogen doses on ground vegetation structure and abundance in Scots pine stands growing on infertile sandy soils (Haplic Arenosols) were studied in Lithuania. The spreading of the nitrophylous plant species in the ground vegetation in pine stands during 20 years period were detected. The role of the trees competition in the soil rhizosphere zone on ground vegetation was analysed. The following soil and ground vegetation parameters were estimated: soil moisture, pH and chemical composition, also the biomass of vascular plants, coverage, biomass and chemical... [to full text]

The presented diploma thesis studies extreme growth depressions of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in Central Europe. Examination of significant growth anomalies (pointer year analysis) is one of the methods, which investigates the reactions of forest stands to the ongoing climate change. Dendrochronological data was obtained from Czechia (23 sites) and Slovakia (4 sites). The main hypotheses of the thesis states that the extreme growth depressions relate to climatic anomalies, hence they can be explained geographically. The objectives were to 1) create a Cropper values chronology for each site which describes growth extreme depressions; 2) explain climatic causes of negative Cropper values for each site; 3) define geographical predispositions of a spatial distribution of extreme growth depressions; 4) spatially interpolate extreme growth depressions. The calculation of Cropper values was based on a normalisation in a moving window method with a 13-year window size and the input data detrended by a 50-year cubic smoothing spline. Created chronologies were correlated with monthly climate data (temperatures, precipitation, SPEI). Geographical predispositions of the spatial distribution of growth depressions were calculated using a hierarchical cluster analysis. The cluster analysis was also applied...

Flera markägare upplever att deras tallungskogar blir nedbetade av älgen. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka och utvärdera om betesskador och betestryck i tallungskog var högre, i områden med liten andel risväxter. Studien var en pilotstudie där förhoppningen att ett verktyg på sikt, skulle kunna tas fram för inventering av fodermängd i fältskikt.  Någon signifikant relation mellan inventerade variabler och variationen av betesskador kunde inte förklaras i studien, troligtvis p.g.a. för liten datamängd. Signifikanta skillnader mellan fastigheter återfanns för två variabler - tallstammar och täckningsgrad. De fyra sätten att mäta risväxter visade sig vara starkt korrelerade med varandra.  Genom denna studie kan en potentiell vägledning ges gällande metoder som gör det lättare för markägaren att själv inventera andelen viltfoder i form av risväxter på fastigheten.

This thesis investigates past structure and dynamics of native Caledonian pine woodland, representing part of the western fringes of the northern European boreal woodlands. The biogeographical extent and Holocene history of the Scottish pine woods are well studied, yet questions remain at finer scales. This thesis is concerned with two factors over the recent Holocene oceanic period; (i) the long-term ecology within the woods; the spatio-temporal dynamics, the canopy structure, and community composition and continuity; and (ii) the former extent of the woods, especially the temporal pattern of the inferred easterly contraction in woodland over recent history. The importance of these factors - to ecologists, challenged with understanding the theories of equilibrium and non-equilibrium processes in long-lived woodland communities - and to conservation managers - challenged, by policy directives, with implementing the restoration and expansion of native woodlands - is discussed. Equally the identification and quantification of ecological detail over ecologically relevant temporal and spatial scales is an important challenge for palaeoecology. The thesis therefore applies fine spatial resolution pollen analyses over a network of sites, within, and at the western edge of, the extant woodland zone in east Glen Affric. Correlation between these individual site histories develops a detailed view of the grain and extent of woodland within the landscape, previously missing from western pine woods. Careful attention is paid to the interpretive potential and limitations of fine resolution palaeoecology; especially with regard (i) to techniques that can identify and spatially quantify stand-scale structure and community composition via reference to modern analogues; and (ii) to defining chronologies and elucidating rates and patterns of temporal change. The opportunities and limitations of the technique are explored and discussed, to ensure an understanding of the rigour and potential of the palaeoecological contribution to ecological research and to provide an evidence base for conservation. The application of 210Pb dating using the CRS and CIC models is explored. The CRS model is confirmed as suitable for peat deposits, but its use may mask fluctuations in peat sedimentation rate, which may be illustrated by the CIC model. The value of multiple 14C assays for each core and a need for a new approach to chronologies for application to fine-scale palaeecological studies is discussed. The relevant source area around the small basins in this semi-open pinewood is tentatively confirmed at 20 m from the pollen source. Tentative pollen productivity estimates for five key taxa in this ecosystem are presented. The temporal stability of native woodland in Glen Affric is confirmed to the eastern part of the extant woodland zone; but challenged to the west, where the open and semi-open landscape has a long history. Woodland diversity decreased over the last c. 200 years, and past woodland also shows a greater ground flora diversity. The western extent of the Caledonian woodland in this landscape may have changed little in the last c. 4000 years. Fluctuations, some clearly cyclical, in heath, and in woodland, communities are identified in the pollen record. The former may be aligned to changes in grazing regime or climatic shifts; and the latter to autochthonous shifts important in the maintenance of suitable edaphic conditions for the continuity of woodland. Former woodland is confirmed as likely to have been open in structure and mixed in tree species composition. The results presented here suggest that some caution should be applied to use of the term Caledonian, or native ‘pine’ forest: ‘Caledonian forest’ may better reflect the heterogeneity of past forests, particularly the importance, and persistence, of birch. The implications for conservation management and restoration are discussed. It may be difficult to establish a sustainable woodland to the west of the extant stands, and any pine woodland here may need to be mixed with stands of broadleaved trees to maintain or restore soil structure and ecological function. The landscape to the west may have been open for several thousands of years, and consideration of this is required when managing for the future to prevent loss of biodiversity.

L’étude des pièces de bois de construction permet de dater le bâti (fermes, granges, pressoirs à vin, moulin, pont…) et de préciser les variations temporelles des relations entre les sociétés humaines d’une part, et la ressource-bois et la forêt d’autre part. La zone d’étude est la vallée de la Durance, et plus généralement, les Alpes françaises du sud. Le cadre temporel retenu comprend les époques médiévale, moderne et contemporaine, périodes pour lesquelles l’effectif du matériel étudiable est élevé.Le premier objectif est une meilleure connaissance du patrimoine bâti, au moyen de la dendrochronologie. Les types de bois mis en œuvre (essence, âge, calibre) ainsi que les phases d’abattage sont mises en évidence. Dans un contexte de changement de l’occupation humaine et d’aménagement du territoire, le développement de ce type d’étude est essentiel pour conserver les traces historiques de ce patrimoine fragile. Le deuxième objectif est de développer la compréhension de la relation entre le bâti et la forêt. Cette relation entre les populations humaines et la forêt ressource pose la question de l’état des forêts comme ressource au cours du dernier millénaire. L’histoire de l’occupation humaine dans les Alpes françaises du sud est ainsi questionnée. Pour répondre à la problématique, l’interdisciplinarité a été une nécessité. Un dialogue avec des historiens, archéologues, forestiers, informaticiens, charpentiers, anthracologues, gestionnaires, ingénieurs et ouvriers dans la construction et la restauration a été instauré. Et, la dendrochronologie a servi de creuset à la mise en œuvre d’une approche interdisciplinaire, dans le but de dépasser les limites de chaque discipline. / Timber study makes it possible to date the traditional buildings (farms, barns, wine presses, mills, bridge ...) and specify the time variations of relationships between human societies, timber uses and forest management. The studied area is the Durance valley, from Briançon to Riez region, and, more generally, the southern French Alps. The time windowof our study is the medieval times, modern and contemporary periods, when a large amount of material (wood) is available.The first purpose of my work is to establish a better knowledge of the built heritage, using dendrochronology. We have been highlighting the types of wood used (species, age, size) as well as the trees felling and human construction phases. Given the human occupation and the land use changes, the development of this type of study is essential to preserve the historical track of this fragile heritage, witness of a mountain society in strong relationship with its environment, especially forestry. The second purpose is to develop knowledge of the relationship between buildings and forest. This relationship addresses the issue of the Alpine forests state and forest as a resource, during the last millennium. Human occupation history, in the southern French Alps, is questioned.To reach these goals, interdisciplinarity has been a necessity. Thus, a dialogue was established with historians, archaeologists, foresters, computer specialists, carpenters, anthracologists, managers, engineers and workers in construction and restoration. In order to overcome the limits of each discipline, dendrochronology has been used to implement an interdisciplinary approach.

This thesis describes aspects of durability of Swedish softwood in above ground applications. The thesis consists of a summary of nine papers, which all aim to explain the existing variation in above ground microbial durability and moisture sensitivity of Norway spruce (Picea abies) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). The methods used were two field tests, one accelerated durability test, and three water permeability tests. The main conclusions made in the study were that Norway spruce sapwood is more susceptible to discolouring fungi than heartwood. With respect to Scots pine, the only important factor for its natural durability above ground was whether the samples consisted of heartwood or of sapwood. There was also no systematic variation between pine heartwood from different stand origins in above ground conditions. Origin had no influence on durability in practice for neither spruce nor pine. Furthermore, in contradiction with traditional thinking, annual ring width and density had no influence on durability in any of the tests. The material came from two different samplings. The ‘old’ material was sampled in the beginning of the 1980s and consisted of Scots pine and Norway spruce from three different origins: the north, the central area, and the south of Sweden. The material was subjected to different handling conditions and surface and end-grain treatments. The ‘old’ material was used in a large above ground field test, carried out between 1985 and 1994. Unfortunately, the spruce sapwood and heartwood was not separated in this field test. In the field trial with the ‘old’ material, the most important factor for the durability of Norway spruce was the samples’ surface- and end-grain treatment. It was also observed that untreated spruce showed better durability than samples that were painted but without proper end-grain treatment. Samples originating from one of the stands were more sensitive towards air-drying than samples from the other two, which was reflected in a higher average moisture content and mass loss for the untreated samples. With respect to Scots pine, the most important factor was whether the sample consisted of heartwood or of sapwood. The heartwood samples were durable irrespective of their previous treatment. The Scots pine sapwood samples, on the other hand, had a very fluctuating moisture content if they were not surface- and end-painted. This was also reflected in higher mass losses in these samples. Even when properly surface- and end grain treated, the sapwood samples did not perform as well as the heartwood samples. The ‘new’ material consisted of Scots pine taken from six different stands, and Norway spruce from five different stands, all from areas in southern Sweden. The sampling was performed in order to achieve a large variation in wood properties. Thus, logs from areas with different climate and growth conditions were collected. This material was used for laboratory tests, and also for the second field test, which was evaluated after a test period of two years. In the second field test untreated Scots pine and Norway spruce samples from the ‘new’ material were investigated. Effects of origin and different tree diameters were examined. Furthermore, Scots pine was separated to heartwood and sapwood, and Norway spruce to mature and juvenile wood. The Norway spruce samples were sawn with vertical or horizontal annual rings. For the Norway spruce in the second field test, vertical annual rings were shown to be very beneficial for avoiding crack formation, while samples with horizontal annual rings displayed a large number of cracks. Despite this, the larger number of cracks did not result in a higher moisture content or more fungal discoloration. Juvenile wood had a slightly higher average discolouring fungal growth grading than the other spruce samples. For Scots pine, the only factor of importance was whether the samples consisted of heartwood or of sapwood. Annual ring width, density and origin had no significant effect on either fungal growth or moisture uptake. This observation held for both Norway spruce samples and Scots pine samples. An accelerated test was run in order to investigate Norway spruce sapwood and heartwood with respect to their differences in durability towards discolouring fungi and moisture uptake. The Mycologg method was used to accelerate fungal growth during a number of forced moisture cycles. The results showed that sapwood was much more sensitive to discolouring fungi than heartwood. Sapwood also recorded a higher average moisture content than heartwood. The differences that were observed between the types of samples were not due to annual ring width, density or origin. It was observed that Norway spruce sapwood samples and heartwood samples showed differences in liquid water permeability. This observation was made especially evident in a droplet absorption test. Water droplets were absorbed much faster on the sapwood samples in comparison with the heartwood samples. This higher affinity to water suggested that a sapwood surface would reach a higher moisture content than a heartwood surface. This observation provides a major explanation of why the sapwood samples showed poorer durability towards discolouring fungi in the Mycologg trials.

Pine weevils cause major damage to newly planted conifer seedlings in reforestation areas. However, recent findings indicate that small (“mini”) seedlings, planted at the age of 7-10 weeks, are gnawed less by pine weevils than the larger, conventionally planted seedlings. Thus, it has been proposed that planting young conifer seedlings in clear-cut areas may reduce the damage caused by pine weevils. In attempts to determine why mini seedlings appear to be less damaged by pine weevils than “conventional” seedlings, the volatiles released by Norway spruce and Scots pine mini seedlings were investigated, since such chemicals are of great importance in herbivore-plant communication, inter alia acting as repellents, attractants or antifeedants. Volatiles from the seedlings were collected, separated and identified by solid phase microextraction (SPME) followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results show that there are high levels of chemodiversity among both spruce and pine seedlings. Between-tissue and age-related variations in their emissions were also found. Norway spruce clones infested by mites were also examined to assess genotype- and pest-specific stress reactions of Norway spruce. Finally, the effects of certain spruce defense compounds on the behavior of the large pine weevil Hylobius abietis were examined. / QC 20100818

Das Forschungsvorhaben hat das Ziel den Einfluss einzelbaumweise eingemischter einheimischer Eichen in Wäldern der Gemeinen Kiefer (Pinus sylvestris L.) zu untersuchen. Die Untersuchungsflächen befinden sich im Nordosten Deutschlands (Brandenburg). Im Untersuchungsgebiet Jerischke hat die Kiefer ein Alter von 78 Jahren und die Eiche ein Alter von 205 Jahren. Im Untersuchungsgebiet Weidmannsruh befindet sich die Kiefer im Alter 70 und die Eiche im Alter 108. In Abhängigkeit von der Entfernung zur Eiche werden folgende Effekte der Eiche nach Intensität und Qualität untersucht: - Effekte auf Mikroklima und Strahlung, - Effekte auf Humusmorphologie und bodenchemische Parameter und - Effekte auf Bodenvegetation und epigäische Fauna. Grundsätzlich sind die positiven Effekte der Eiche auf 10 bis 15 m vom Eichenstamm in den Kiefernbestand hinein begrenzt.

Die exponierten Sandstein-Felsriffe im Nationalpark Sächsische Schweiz stellen einen Waldgrenzstandort dar. Erkenntnisse über das Baumwachstum unter diesen nährstoffarmen und trockenen Bedingungen können dazu beitragen, die Reaktionen normaler Bestände auf mögliche Klimaveränderungen besser vorherzusagen. Für die vorliegende Arbeit erfolgte die Anlage von insgesamt zwölf Versuchsflächen in den zwei Teilgebieten des Nationalparks Sächsische Schweiz, auf denen das Wachstum der Kiefern und die zuwachsbeeinflussenden Faktoren untersucht wurden. Die Auswertung der entnommenen Bohrspäne zeigt, dass Kiefern auch bei äußerst geringen Zuwachsraten jahrelang überleben können. Es wurden vielfach schmale Jahrringe aus lediglich zwei bis drei Zellreihen sowie Einzelbäume mit bis zu 29 vollständig ausgefallenen Jahrringen gefunden. Die Analyse der Zusammenhänge von Radialzuwachs, Höhenzuwachs, Bestandesdaten, Konkurrenzindizes, Standort- und Witterungsparametern nimmt einen großen Teil der Arbeit ein und mündet in der Darstellung entsprechender Wuchsmodelle.

This thesis presents a number of studies, where a multivariate approach was taken to construct models that predict wood species and thermo mechanical pulp brightness from roundwood of Norway spruce and Scots pine. The first and second studies produced multivariate prediction models for wood species from the bark of spruce and pine. These models can be used for wood species classification and would replace the manual log assessment that takes place today. Principal Component Analysis, PCA, and Partial least squares projections to Latent Structures, PLS, were used to predict the wood species from multivariate measurements recorded from the bark of spruce and pine. Two different kinds of measurements were employed, near-infrared spectroscopy and digital imaging. Both methods showed that it was possible to predict the wood species with a high accuracy. The third and fourth studies of the thesis are related to the wood storage of roundwood and the deterioration of wood that occurs during the storage. The third study used an experimental design with five storage factors that provided different conditions for the analysed wood. The experimental design made it possible to identify the factors and the interaction between factors, which were important for the ISO brightness of peroxide and dithionite bleached thermo mechanical pulp, TMP. The final study of the thesis used NIR spectroscopy for predicting the ISO brightness of bleached TMP. Spectra recorded from stored wood were used to construct PLS prediction models.