The use of Seasonal Foliar Color changes to Diagnose Stress in Eastern White Pine    (View PDF)

Michael J. Weaver and R. Jay Stipes

Abstract: Eastern white pine is one of the most popular landscape trees in the Eastern United States, and its decline has been observed by the authors for over 20 years in Virginia. To the arborist, landscaper, and tree owner this disease is very hard to detect in its early stages because of the complex nature and variability of the decline syndrome. It might be easier to maintain trees grown in conditions favorable to decline if a simple method could be used to detect and monitor the health of white pines. One such possible method would be to monitor seasonal foliar color fluctuations, since leaf morphology (size, shape, color) is a prime indicator of tree health. The authors have tested a color analysis method which is simple and inexpensive. When perfected this method might be useful to protect white pine from the latent stages of decline through its use in early detection in combination with methods to modify certain site stress factors.

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https://doi.org/10.48044/jauf.1990.034