Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) growth and condition in a polluted environment: from decline to recovery

Abstract The results of long-term investigations of Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris L.) growth and condition in the impact zone of one of the biggest air pollution sources in Lithuania—mineral fertilizers plant “Achema” are presented. The main attention is laid to the recovery of damaged stands since annual emissions to air were reduced essentially. The investigations indicated, that the recovery of tree increment was mostly caused by distinct reduction of emissions of nitrogen and sulphur oxides and dust of mineral fertilizers. Despite reduced pollution, crown defoliation of investigated stands has continued to increase for a certain period. After the crown recovery of damaged stands has started, the recovery of most damaged survived trees was most intensive and convergence of defoliated to a different extend stands and trees is characteristic feature of this period. No defoliation threshold has been determined beyond of which recovery of trees would be impossible. Recovery of more than a quarter of damaged trees was registered even in the case of 90% of defoliation. Recovery of dominant trees occurs to be faster of that for suppressed trees within the same level of defoliation. The impact of stand density on the crown recovery rate is negative, the higher density (more intensive competition), the slower recovery of damaged trees. The dependence of growth rate on defoliation was found to be of logistic character: while crown defoliation consists up to 25–30%, tree increment losses are rather inconsiderable, further increase of defoliation leads to the essentially higher increment losses, however having achieved 65–70% defoliation, further increase of defoliation does not result such intensive decrease of radial increment.