engleski

The Incidence of Mistletoe (Viscum album L. ssp. abietis (Wiesb.) Abrom.) on Silver Fir (Abies alba Mill.) in Croatia

The research of the intensity of mistletoe infestation was carried out in natural stands of silver fir in Croatia. In the area of Gorski Kotar 32.8 % of the examined trees of the upper crown layer were infested with mistletoe. The intensity of mistletoe infestation was presented according to the damage degrees of silver fir from 0 (healthy trees) to 4 (dead trees). With the increase of intensity of mistletoe infestation, it spreads more onto more vital, i.e. less damaged silver fir trees. In the Dinara Mountains region 28.6 % of the examined fir trees were infested, this percentage amounting to 27.1 % for the mountainous regions between the Sava and Drava rivers. The site and stand parameters (exposition, soil type, height above see level, site quality, forest community and canopy density) were analysed in order to establish whether there is a correlation between these parameters and the infestation intensity of fir with mistletoe. It was found that among the compartments with a closed stand there were considerably less compartments with higher infestation intensity than among compartments with a sparsely closed and understocked stand. There was a negative correlation between the height above see level and the infestation of silver fir with mistletoe. The compartments on rhodic cambisol and luvisol were considerably more infested than the compartments on mollic leptosol. The infestation intensity on rendzic leptosol and chromic cambisol was very diverse, these being the most prevalent soils in the research area. The other site and stand parameters individually had no significant influence on the infestation of silver fir with mistletoe. The correlation of silver fir mortality in 2004 and the infestation intensity with mistletoe in 2002/03 was analysed, and their strong correlation was established. Mistletoe could be consider as a bioindicator of silver fir decline, and in the areas where mistletoe is considerably present it can be presumed that the natural balance is disturbed and silver fir is significantly damaged.

mistletoe; Viscum album ssp. abietis; silver fir; Abies alba; intensity of infestation; Croatia

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