Towards a unifying theory for stand-level dieback

Trees may die in forest stands over relatively large areas for obvious reasons, such as fire, flooding, severe drought, strong air pollution, and insect outbreaks. However, in many cases, stand-level dieback occurs without an obvious reason and then its etiology becomes more complicated, involving a combination of factors. The dieback structure, its symptomatology, and its spatial and temporal patterns may be used to identify these factors at least at the generic level. Moreover, observations of the dieback-associated vegetation dynamics can be used to draw inferences about the dieback process. In addition to biotic diseases and environmental changes or short-term recurring stresses, local site characteristics and the life history of the stand must be considered in a more universally applicable theory for stand-level dieback. This is further explained by a simplified model related to the decline disease concept of Houston.