Climate crisis: Bork beetles threaten Austria's forests like never before!

Climate crisis: Bork beetles threaten Austria's forests like never before!

Münichreith, Österreich - In Austria, the forest is strongly threatened by the dreaded bark beetles. The types of "book printer" and "engraver" in particular are considered the main causes of the problem and are among the most successful pests that affect the spruce. Climate change and the persistent drought weaken the trees so that they are no longer able to defend themselves against the beetles. According to Stefan Schörghuber, head of the Federal Forest Tab, Wald-Naturraum-Sustainability, the forests will be particularly affected this year, since many trees are weakened due to dry stress and cannot prevent the beetles from entering the wood, such as noe.orf.at reported .

In order to combat the attack of the bark beetles, measures are taken in the affected forests, which include the use of special traps, among other things. During the season, which lasts from mid -March to the end of October, a total of 300 felled spruces are designed as "fall trees", which are supposed to attract the beetles. This strategy aims to quickly remove infested trees from the forest before the population increases exponentially. Up to 30,000 offspring can arise from a single pair of bark beetle within one year, which illustrates the urgency of the countermeasures. The importance of the mixed forest economy is also pointed out to create a more stable diversity of tree, as in Wald.de .

The bark beetle not only promotes the death of trees, but also the risk of calamities, such as strong tree deaths over large areas, increases with the increase in the beetle population. Particular attention is paid to the mixed forests that promote balanced and healthy ecosystems, while coniferous monocultures are increasingly at risk. The bark beetle, which is promoted by the continued drought and climate change in its activities, could become a major problem for forestry in Austria and beyond in the medium term.

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OrtMünichreith, Österreich
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