Relationship of Root Starch to Decline of Sugar Maple

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Abstract
Starch content of roots of streetside sugar maples was scored visually on the basis of intensity of staining of xylem sections treated with I2-Kl. A significant relationship occurred between root starch content in autumn and decline symptoms; trees with declining crowns had the least starch. More trees with low or depleted starch supplies decline in crown condition than trees with moderate or high starch. This technique, used as an indiactor of tree health, may be useful for detecting early stages of decline.