Regional variation in surface properties of Norway spruce and scots pine needles in relation to forest decline

Measurements of leaf wettability (contact angle), amounts of epicuticular wax and of surface dust are reported for Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L) Karst) trees growing at 12 sites in Europe from SW Germany to NE Scotland. At each site, three year classes (current year, 1 and 2-year-old) of needles were sampled from the mid-crown of up to 12 trees. Trees were selected at random from two strata, those showing visible decline symptoms (i.e. loss of needles or discoloration) and those apparently healthy. Needles for analysis were taken from apparently healthy (green) shoots in both cases. There were no significant differences between 'declining' and 'healthy' trees within sites, suggesting that leaf surface properties reflect environmental exposure rather than plant response. There were significant differences between sites, particularly for Norway spruce, which may be related to environmental factors including air pollution. Contact angles were consistently smaller at low-altitude sites in Britain and The Netherlands than at high-altitude sites in Germany where forests show decline symptoms. Leaf wettability decreased (contact angles increased) with wax amount and increased with dust amount. Leaf surface properties integrate environmental influences over long periods, and may be useful in identifying sites 'at risk' of developing decline symptoms, but causal relationships cannot be deduced without further direct experimentation.