RESUME
Damage of forest stands in the Orlické hory Mountains
František Šach, Daniela Fottová, Vratislav Balcar, Vladimír Černohous, Dušan Kacálek, Václav Nárovec (pp. 452-455)A severe damage of young Norway spruce forest stands of a great extent, mainly higher than 800 m a.s.l., appeared in the SE part of the Orlické hory Mountains in spring 1999. The Norway spruce needles are reddish (rusty) and fall off from the last-year or older twigs at the main ridge of the Orlické hory Mountains. Deficiency disease has been observed on needles of blue spruce at summit localities (brownish to reddish coloration of needles with transition zones into violet coloration) and a mass dying of European birch. The damage and dying of last-year twigs of Norway spruce is the most severe thing. Dying is in progress not only at summit localities, but at lower altitudes as well (at about 800 m a.s.l.). It gives serious concern about the future development of forest in the Orlické hory Mountains. Damage of forest stands has been probably caused by complex circumstances, in which air pollution obviously plays an important role. The authors, after extensive analysis, arrived at the following conclusions: