Two profiles encompassing the area of 2,770 hectares in total were selected to study factors concerning the condition and growth of montane forests of Norway spruce on the Pokljuka-Jelovica plateau (Slovenia) with an area survey of damaged trees with infrared color aerial photographs and a sample field survey of dendrometric factors in permanent plots in the field. The forests under consideration were found to be still in a relatively good condition since only 10 % of trees in Jelovica and 35 % of trees in Pokljuka were found to be evidently damaged. It was also observed that old-growth stands had deteriorated to a greater extend than stands of young growth though the latter were found to be very susceptible even to minor damages of crowns, which in tum result in increment decrease and social degradation. An analysis of spatial distribution of damages indicates no spatial trend. An increase in needle loss leads to a decrease in diameter increment in all tree species. Stand growth, however, does not decrease as well; to the contrary, it has recently been even higher than in the past.
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