FORSEE : Indicateur évalué

Indicator 2.4.2: Damage Intensity

Costs

Total Cost €12147

Shared Cost €10152

Marginal Cost €1995

Total Cost/ha €0.34

These cost include:

Record the damages
Record the intensity
of the damages
Record the affected part
Data processing of the forest health
Time finding & installing the plots
Travel to the plots
Prepare sampling plan
Purchase maps of the plots
Organise the data collection points
Computer & software for forest health

Results

Figure 2.4.2a: Intensity of the damage

IMG1

Remarks

In figure 6 it can be seen that although the main damage type was defoliation, the mean level of defoliation was quite high (39%) in comparison to levels recorded by Coillte in their forest health plots where mean defoliation was in Irish Level 1* plots was 14.9% in 2004 and 15.9% in 2005 and defoliation in both years was similar to the long-term average of 15.6% (Anon, 2005). This would indicate that defoliation is a concern. This information is useful to give a more accurate description of the intensity level of the different damage types. Green or yellow discolouration, the second major damage type in the pilot zone, had a mean discolouration of 55% which is quite high and would have implications for tree growth. Mean discolouration figures in level 1 Irish plots for 2004 and 2005 were 5.2% and 6.4% respectively and were lower than the long-term average of 7.9%. Death to the branches and shoots had a mean level of 20% and would not be a major concern.

* Irish Level 1 plots form part of a network of 6,000 plots across Europe for monitoring forest health.

Problems and Improvements

Again the analysis was mainly on trees within one age class (0-20) and therefore has limitations for both the intensity level and the type of damage.

Remarks and Conclusions

The damage intensity has been useful in assessing the level of damage to the trees and therefore gives a more accurate representation of forest health in the region. This is a useful tool for forest managers.

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Project co-financed by European Union
A community initiative ERDF
INTERREG the IIIB Atlantic Area