Relationships between parameters of aboveground parts and parameters of root plates in spruce trees growing in poorly drained sites

Abstract

In the locality Hnile Blatá (the High Tatras Mts) we measured the aboveground parts (tree height, stem diameter, length and width of crowns) of windthrown spruces (Picea abies (L.) Karst.). The width and thickness of root plates were measured on the belowground parts. The methods of linear regression and correlation analysis were used to evaluate the relationships between the aboveground and the belowground parts. Extreme wide and shallow root plates were found out in spruces growing in poorly drained sites. The higher degree of statistically significant correlation was found out between the individual stem diameters and the root plate parameters. The medium values of multiple correlation coefficients were found out among the root plate parameters and the tree height, width and length of crown. The low degree of correlation was found out between the crown proportion index and the belowground parameters of root plates. The partial correlation coefficients point out that the correlation only exists between the average width of root plate (AWrp) and the individual aboveground parameters. No correlation was found out between the thickness of root plates (Trp) and the individual aboveground parameters.