The impact of volcanic ash desposition and Sulphur emission of the 2021 Tajogaite eruption on the Canary Pine forests on La Palma.

Volcanism has been an integral part of the disturbance regime of the island of La Palma for the whole existence of the island. Pinus canariensis, an endemic tree species forming monodominant stands on the island, is well adapted to volcanic damage. We investigate how the species is affected by ash deposition and volcanic Sulphur emission of the 2021 Tajogaite eruption. We used Sentinel-2 satellite images to map the extent and intensity of chlorotic damage suffered by the canopy. Additionally, we investigated Sulphur, Nitrogen and Carbon levels in needles of both affected and unaffected individuals of Pinus canariensis.

We found distance to the volcano to be the most important predictor for visible canopy damage. The majority of the affected forest shows clear signs of recovery after one year in a remote sensing based analysis. Distance was also the most important predictor for needle Sulphur content. High Sulphur levels affected both Carbon and Nitrogen levels due to resource allocation necessary for extensive resprouting of affected trees.