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Snow‐packing as a potential harmful factor on Picea abies, Pinus sylvestris and Betula pubescens at high altitude in northern Finland
Author(s) -
Jalkanen R.,
Konocpka B.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
european journal of forest pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.535
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1439-0329
pISSN - 0300-1237
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0329.1998.tb01191.x
Subject(s) - snow , picea abies , scots pine , betula pubescens , betula pendula , horticulture , altitude (triangle) , botany , forestry , pinus <genus> , environmental science , biology , geography , mathematics , meteorology , geometry
Summary Snow‐packing, a combination of ice, hoarfrost and snow on trees, and the subsequent tree damage by snow, were estimated on Norway spruce ( Picea abies ), Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris ), and pubescent birch ( Betula pubescens ) in the winter of 1993‐94 in southern Lapland, northern Finland, near the local alpine timberline around 400 m a.s.l. Snow‐packing on each fully sized tree increased from a few hundred kilograms at 150–250 m a.s.l. to a maximum of 3290 kg at 300–350 m a.s.l. At 300 m a.s.l., snow‐packing per metre of stem increased from 30 to 50 kg on trees < 5 m in height up to 180–200 kg on 20‐m trees. There was 300 000‐480 000 kg/ha of snow accumulated on tree crowns. No stem breakage by snow‐packing occurred at or below 250 m a.s.l., whereas at 290–350 m a.s.l., 0‐46%, 39‐100%, and 0–33% of the spruce, pine and birch trees, respectively, had broken tops. Birch appeared to be the most resistant and pine the most susceptible to snow breakage.