RECOGNITION OF AIR-POLLUTION STRESS ON NORWAY SPRUCE (PICEA-ABIES L) ON THE BASIS OF MULTIVARIATE-ANALYSIS OF BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS - A MODEL FIELD-STUDY

In a model field study, 12 adult Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst .) stands located in different mountain areas (Harz - H, Thuringer Wal d - TH, Erzgebirge - E) in eastern Germany and having different SO2 an d NOx depositions, were investigated. In addition to 30 biochemical pa rameters of needles from previous year covering many different section s of spruce needle metabolism, soil and needle element contents were m easured, as were the standard parameters of forest damage inquiry i.e. discolouration and needle loss. The prime goal of this model investig ation was to establish a general method suitable for characterization of what was termed the ''vitality state'' of the Norway spruce trees. This integrated variable was obtained by application of Spearman rank correlation analysis and discriminant analysis. In the first step of u nivariate/multivariate statistical analysis the 30 biochemical paramet ers were reduced on the basis of calculated correlation coefficients ( p < 0.05). In the next step the three test site groups (H, TH, E) were characterized and evaluated by discriminant analysis with 12 selected variables. After reduction of variables, 4 biochemical/physiological variables (ADP, D1BC, POD3, SORG) were separated out, which contribute d to the scores of the 2 discriminant functions, yielding 3 different states of vitality. Between vitality states and environmental variable s (SO2, NOx) a significant correlation consists. The clear-cut relatio nship between the complex variable ''vitality state'' and the environm ental conditions may well offer a chance for early recognition of fore st decline in Norway spruce in the future.