Relationship between growth of single trees, tree morphology and small-scale variations in site conditions

Monitoring hourly changes of stem circumference to find relations between environmental factors and tree growth

Rationale

• Can hourly and daily changes of the circumference of tree stems be used as indicators of tree condition?
• Can they be used to find the effects of weather and soil water availability on tree growth and vitality?
• Can the information be used to explain past tree increment?
• What are the interactions between neighbour trees?

Project aims

Main goals of the project are to relate tree stem circumference changes to

• Forest weather conditions
• Soil water availability
• Crown defoliation
• Tree phenology
• Social tree position
• Tree competition

Methods

Electric girth bands are being used to monitor hourly changes of the stem circumference to an accuracy between 0.01 mm and 0.02 mm. Both band types were developed by UMS® in Munich, FRG, and measure the change in circumference by recording changes in electric resistance.

• The electric Dial-dendro is fixed to the stem with two screws and enables monitoring over several growing periods.
• The DM UMS® band is a very sensitive girth band that is kept in place by its own tension , but must be readjusted after each growing period.

Work plan

Around 20 trees at one study site (LWF site Vordemwald) have been equipped with the girth bands. A second site will be installed this autumn.

Data

Verified data will not be available before the end of 1998.

Results

So far no results are available.

Publications

No own publications are available yet. Here are some relevant publications to girth bands:

• Keeland B.D., Sharitz R.R., 1993. Accuracy of tree growth measurements using dendrometer bands. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 23(11): 2454-2457.
• Naleppa M., 1995. Entwurf und Eignungsprüfung eines DMS-Aufnehmers für eine permanente und hochauflösende Messung des Umfangzuwachses von Bäumen. Diplomarbeit. Fachhochschule München, München, 71 p.
• Nützel R., 1995. Präzisionsmessung des Dickenwachstums von Waldbäumen. Historische Entwicklung und aktueller Stand der Gerätetechnik. Allgemeine Forst- und Jagdzeitung 166(1): 9-14.
• Preuhsler T. (ed), 1995. Methoden der Permanent-Zuwachsmessung. Seminar der Bayer. Landesanstalt für Wald und Forstwirtschaft. Forstliche Forschungsberichte München 153, 112 p.
• Vogel M., 1994. Automatische Radialzuwachsfeinmessung in einem Fichtenaltbestand und Möglichkeiten der Interpretation kurzfristiger Schwankungen der Zuwachsmesswerte. Allgemeine Forst und Jagdzeitung 165(2): 34-40.
• Vogel M., Anders S., 1995. Estimation of increment stair step curves from values of radial increment measurements. Allgemeine Forst- und Jagdzeitung 166(11): 211-215.
• Wilpert v., K. 1990. Die Jahrringstruktur von Fichten in Abhängigkeit vom Bodenwasserhaushalt auf Pseudogley und Parabraunerde. Dissertation. Freiburger Bodenkundliche Abhandlungen. 184 p.

Links

• Information about dendrometer bands

Contact

• Matthias Dobbertin