Climate change threatens our spruce trees: The Christmas tree is in danger!

Climate change threatens our spruce trees: The Christmas tree is in danger!

In the run-up to Christmas, local conifers are very popular, especially black spruce. But climate change has put these traditional trees, which have stood in the Austrian forests for centuries, in massive danger. According to a report by Today.at The spruce particularly suffers from increasing heat and drought, which severely impairs its resistance. More and more trees grown in a completely different climate are showing symptoms such as reduced growth and increased susceptibility to disease.

The plague of bark beetles

These changes have far-reaching consequences. Spruce is not only the most common tree in Austria, its wood is also used in a variety of ways, be it for building buildings or making furniture. But with climate change there are also increasing numbers of pests such as bark beetles, which settle in weakened spruce trees. Nature detectives reported that the monocultures of spruce forests fuel this, as pests can spread much more quickly in uniform stands. A single beetle can cause devastating damage and threaten entire forests.

Experts like Alexandra Wieshaider from the Austrian Federal Forests warn that there will be a drastic decline in spruce in the Vienna Woods in the coming decades. Their disappearance could permanently change the appearance of local forests. While the fir is considered an alternative, it requires specific conditions to thrive. Its heat-loving properties make it more resistant to the effects of climate change, but it could suffer from a high deer population that likes to eat its young shoots.