Recent and Historic Red Spruce Mortality: Evidence of Climatic Influence

A period of declining growth and extensive mortality of red spruce (Picearubens Sarg.) has been in progress for the past two decades in the montane forests of New York, Vermont and New Hampshire, Those areas are subject to particularly high levels of pollutant input and there is concern that airborne chemicals have destabilized the forest ecosystems. Field reports indicate that major episodes of mortality also occurred prior to the era of widespread industrial pollution, particularly in the 1870’s and 1880’s. The present and past periods of mortality have similarities as well as differences, and whether the primary causes are the same cannot be confidently determined with the information currently available. One similarity is that recent and past episodes of red spruce mortality tended to occur during or immediately after periods which are climatically unfavorable for this species.