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Beetle chaos in the Thüngen Forest: Oak jewel beetle threatens future trees!
In Thüngen Forest, people are fighting against bark beetle infestation. The oak jewel beetle threatens oak trees. Immediate action required!
Beetle chaos in the Thüngen Forest: Oak jewel beetle threatens future trees!
The alarm in the Thüngen Forest heralds the next round in the fight against the harmful beetles that are continually decimating the tree reserves! After the spruce stands in the "undergrowth" were almost completely ruined by the voracious bark beetle, the vermin in the form of the oak jewel beetle has now taken over. This threat was discovered during the most recent forest inspection, in which the forestry committee, district forester Patrick Schelbert and forestry director Christoph Kirchner took part. The affected forest area “Oberholz”, in the direction of Retzbach, is now in acute danger.
Beetle chaos caused by climate change
The oak jewel beetle was already known, but had not yet posed a serious threat. However, due to the extremely dry and hot summers, the oak trees had lost a lot of their vitality. Healthy trees produce tannic acid, which can repel beetles. But now the trees are weakened, the beetles have free rein and suddenly a catastrophe threatens! The oak jewel beetle also opens the door for the oak seed beetle, which finds ideal breeding places in damaged trees. Immediate measures are required: Affected trees must be felled and the crowns removed as quickly as possible.
Finding the small pest holes proves to be complicated because there is currently no effective control agent. Within just a year, an infected tree could die and its wood is no longer good for construction, but only for fire! Despite the serious situation, Forest Director Kirchner has a glimmer of hope. The “trees of the future” such as serviceberries and serviceberries could play a key role in new silviculture. Another bright spot is the rapid growth rate of the cherry, which makes easy progress despite the infestation of mice.
The forestry committee also looked around in the “undergrowth”, where new tree seedlings were planted as part of the “Spessart tree campaign” after the massive clearing of spruce trees. Interestingly, the municipal forest has nevertheless slipped into the black: Last year, a surplus of 50,000 euros was achieved - a real jackpot, after a deficit had previously been expected! Things are already looking good again this year: the plan for 1,075 cubic meters is in place, and the minus was reduced to just 775 euros. So the foresters are under pressure, but they are determined to save nature at all costs!