... change the species composition of the biocenosis favouring the survival of the most xerophytic species, Q. pubescens, and the reduction in number of individuals of Q. cerris and Q. frainetto ... areas in the Southern Hemi-sphere, e.g. New Zealand, Chile and Australia [56], and in the Northern Hemisphere, e.g. Northeast of the USA [158],East of China [178] and Europe [71, 97, 160]. In ... agents, including biotic and abiotic factors. The concept is illustrated by a decline spiral constituted of threetiered inward rings, corresponding to the predisposing, incit-ing, and contributing...