Spring 2011

SPRING AND AUTUMN
FROST DAMAGE TO LARCH
PROVENANCES CONNECTED
TO WEATHER EVENTS
Þröstur Eysteinsson

Provenance trial at Höfði planted 1999
• 17 provenances
• 1 Icelandic seed orchard
• Vaglir
• 6 Icelandic provenances
• Guttormslundur, Lýsishóll, Framhólar,
• Ljósárkinn, Atlavík, Víðivellir
• 1 Swedish seed orchard
• Östteg
• 3 Finnish seed orchards
• Imatra, Ihala, Lassinmaa
• 1 Southerly Russian provenance
• Kostroma
• 3 Southern Siberian provenances
• Altai 1 and 2, Ostskoe in Buryatia
• 2 provenances of dubious origin
• Vendenga, Leningrad

Measurements 2011
• Height
• Diameter (DBH)
• Volume calculated
• Year that damage took place
• Journals and other references
• Counted down the stem
• Number of vertical shoots directly
after damage
• Current number of terminal leaders
• Daily mean, maximum and minimum
temperatures for Hallormsstaður
(Icelandic Meteorological Office)

Recorded damage 2000-2011
• Widespread spring damage to
needles was noted
• 2003
• 2005
• 2011
• Widespread autumn die-back to
terminal leaders was noted
• 2005
• 2007

Example of the effect of spring frost 2003
• In a 35 year old Larix sukaczewii stand, Current annual volume
increment dropped from 17 m 3 /ha in 2002 to to 6 m 3 /ha in 2003
(Lárus Heiðarsson).

Example of the effect of spring frost 2005
• Carbon sequestration dropped and did not recover for several
weeks (Brynhildur Bjarnadóttir 2007).
• The effect of the autumn frost event can also be seen
19 May, -6°C 12-14 October, -7°C

°C
Needle damage in spring 2003
25,00
20,00
15,00
Spring 2003 Hallormsstað
Warm February, March and April
10,00
5,00
Mean
0,00
F F F F F F F F F F M M M M M M M M M M A A A A A A A A A A M M M M M M M M M M
High
Low
-5,00
-10,00
-15,00
2. May, -4.5 °C
Snow
Strong winds
-20,00

°C
Needle damage in spring 2005
25,00
Spring 2005
20,00
Warm mid April to mid May
15,00
10,00
5,00
Mean
High
Low
0,00
M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M
-5,00
-10,00
-15,00
19. May, -6°C
Snow
Strong winds

°C
Needle damage in spring 2011
20,00
15,00
Spring 2011
Warm April and early May
10,00
5,00
0,00
-5,00
-10,00
M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M
25. May, -2°C
Snow
Strong winds
Mean
High
Low
-15,00

A spring that Siberian larch is adapted to
25,00
Spring 2008
20,00
15,00
10,00
5,00
0,00
M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M
Mean
High
Low
-5,00
-10,00
-15,00
Cold March and April
Gradual warming in May
-20,00

Shoot die-back autumn 2007
25,00
20,00
15,00
10,00
5,00
Mean
High
Low
0,00
A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O
-5,00
-10,00
14-15 September, -4°C
Repeated frost for 2 weeks

°C
Shoot die-back autumn 2005
Connected to spring damage the same year?
25,00
Autumn 2005
20,00
15,00
10,00
5,00
Mean
High
Low
0,00
A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O
-5,00
-10,00
12-14 October, -7°C
-15,00

Liters
Results, Volume growth at age 12
6
Volume / tree
5
4
a
ab
3
bc
2
1
c
d
0

Needle damage score
Needle damage 2011
3,5
a
3
ab
2,5
b
2
1,5
1

Number of leaders
Altai 1
Östteg
Vaglir
Gutt
Raiv Lass
Raiv Ihala
Raiv Lýsish
Víðvellir
Ark Ljósá
Kostr 1
Raiv Hólar
Kostr 2
Ostskoe
Ark Atlav
Vendenga
Altai 2
Leningr
Raiv Imatra
Number of leaders
Altai 1
Raiv Hólar
Ark Ljósá
Ostskoe
Raiv Lýsish
Vaglir
Leningr
Raiv Imatra
Vendenga
Östteg
Altai 2
Raiv Ihala
Ark Atlav
Víðivellir
Gutt
Raiv Lass
Kostr 2
Kostr 1
Multiple leader formation after spring damage is
negligible
1,5
1,45
1,4
1,35
1,3
1,25
1,2
1,15
1,1
1,05
1
2003 ns.
1,35
1,3
1,25
1,2
1,15
1,1
1,05
1
2005 ns.

4 cm
The response of some
provenances is to set bud
Terminal leaders from 2011
21. March 2012
16 cm
Others continue growing

Original number of vertical shoots
Autumn damage 2005, original number of vertical shoots
4
3,5
ab
b
3
2,5
a
a
2
1,5
a
1

Current number of terminal leaders
Autumn damage 2005, current number of terminal leaders, n.s.
1,3
1,25
1,2
1,15
1,1
1,05
1

Original number of vertical shoots
Autumn damage 2007, original number of vertical shoots
4
b
b
3,5
b
b
3
ab
2,5
2
a
a
a
a
1,5
1

Current number of terminal leaders
Autumn damage 2007, current number of terminal leaders, n.s.
1,7
b
1,6
1,5
1,4
ab
1,3
1,2
a
1,1
1

% trees with more than one leader
Consequences of 2007 autumn damage shown in
a different way
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
2007%
2011%
20
10
0

Number of vertical shoots 2007
Correlation in autumn damage 2005 and 2007
Spearman rank correlation
4
3,5
3
R = 0,319
p < 0,001
2,5
2
1,5
1
1 1,5 2 2,5 3 3,5
Number of vertical shoots 2005

Mean tree volume (liters)
Negative correlation between spring needle damage and volume growth
Spearman rank correlation
5
4,5
4
3,5
R = - 0,513
p < 0,001
3
2,5
2
1,5
1
0,5
0
1 1,5 2 2,5 3 3,5
Needle damage score 2011

Mean tree volume (liters)
Positive correlation between volume and autumn damage
Spearman rank correlation
5
4,5
4
3,5
R = 0,354
P < 0,001
3
2,5
2
1,5
1
0,5
0
1 1,5 2 2,5 3 3,5 4
Number of vertical shoots 2005 and 2007

Provenance:
Altai 1

Provenance:
Altai 2

Provenance:
„Leningrad“

Provenance:
Guttormslundur
(ex Urals)

Provenance:
Vaglir
Icelandic seed orchard

Provenance:
Östteg
Swedish seed orchard

Provenance:
Kostroma

Conclusions
• Spring and autumn damage were equally common during the
first decade of the 21st century.
• Spring damage results in growth loss, not form defects .
• Autumn damage results in form defects, not much growth
loss.
• Increased volume is achieved by growth later in autumn, not
an early start in spring.
• Most trees formed a single dominant leader within 4 years of
autumn die-back, almost all within 6 years.
• The final consequenses of autumn damage for most trees was
a slight crook and one or more former co-dominant stems.

Conclusions
• The provenances that sustained the grestest spring needle
damage grew significantly less than others. They are mostly
Siberian and no longer used in Icelandic forestry.
• Thr provenances that sustained the grestest autumn damage
are nevertheless usable, with the exception of Kostroma
perhaps.
• The results do not support a change in emphasis regarding
which provenances to use in interior North and East Iceland.
• It is not yet time to switch to European larch, but perhaps we
should start thinking about planting Russian larch at higher
elevations.

Extra conclusion
• Conifer canker (Phacidium coniferarum)
• Most common following cold weather in early summer
• It is active now after cold Junes in both 2011 and 2012
• Most seriously affects Siberian provenances, especially
• Ulan Udensk
• Tuva
• Ostskoe, Buryatia (as we will see tomorrow)
• Some Altai provenances
• Larix occidentalis is also affected
• Larix sukaczewii shows little damage
• Larix decidua is not affected.

Mean temperature °C
What about the future?
12
Mean monthly temperatures Egilsstaðir March-June 1995-2012
10
8
6
4
2
0
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
March
April
May
June
Linear (March)
Linear (April)
Linear (May)
Linear (June)
-2
-4
-6
March and April are warming much faster than May.
Will Larix sukaczewii go the same way as Larix sibirica?

12
Mean Monthly temperatures Egilsstaðir Sept.-Nov. 1995-2011
10
8
6
4
2
0
-2
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
September
October
November
Linear (September)
Linear (October)
Linear (November)
-4
-6
Damaging frost in September is already rare.
Conditions for Larix decidua and Larix occidentalis will improve as the
danger of frost in October decreases.

Larch in snow – a thing of the past?