Modelling the Effects of Drought on the Growth of Sitka Spruce in Scotland

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A water balance and growth model (Jarvis et at ., 1983) is used to predict the effects of drought stress on the growth of Sitka spruce at seven contrasting locations throughout Scotland. At Kirkhill forest (near Aberdeen) the model accounted for 86 per cent of measured year to year variance in growth in 50 upper canopy Sitka spruce, but only 35 per cent of the measured variance in growth of 15 trees was accounted for at Monaughty forest (near Elgin). Limitations in the Monaughty growth data can explain part of this discrepancy. A comparison between measured annual stem growth on a freely drained podsol and two nearby peaty gleys confirms that it is soil water deficit rather than atmospheric vapour pressure deficit which limits growth in dry years at Kirkhill. A tentative Scotland-wide relationship between the maximum attainable local yield class and mean annual rainfall is derived by combining the growth model with on-site measurements.

This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit: