Evaluation of insect pest occurrence in areas of calamitous mortality of Scots pine

Jan Liška,Miloš Knížek,Adam Véle

doi:10.2478/forj-2021-0006

Jan Liška, Miloš Knížek + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.2478/forj-2021-0006

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Abstract

Abstract Pinus sylvestris is an important production tree. In recent years, there has been a sharp increase in the mortality of pine trees due to insect pests. It is obvious that some pests profit from climatic changes, increase their aggressiveness and spread to new localities. The study aimed to investigate the spectrum of more abundant insect pest species in pine plantations of Czechia. The occurrence of species and intensity of their infestation were studied at 77 localities situated in six regions. Any abundant foliophagous insect species were noticed. Bark beetles and wood-boring insects were found to be prevalent. Namely, Ips acuminatus, Ips sexdentatus, Phaenops cyanea and Sirex noctilio seem to be the most dangerous. These species are now better competitors than species previously considered as main pests. Their aggressiveness, expansion to new areas and interspecies co-occurrence are alarming. Due to the advancing climate change, pine mortality due to bark beetles and wood-boring pests will probably continue to increase.

Highlights

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) has a wide range of applications
I. acuminatus was the species that most often manifested a strong infestation in both forest types
In both forest types, it often occurred together with Ips sexdentatus (Fig. 1). This species was found only in a few localities, but mainly in the strong intensity of the infestation. The occurrence of both mentioned species in the mature forests was negatively correlated with the occurrence of two other species of bark beetles, which, in contrast, often occur together: Tomicus minor and T. piniperda

Summary

Introduction

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) has a wide range of applications. Among others, it is used as construction timber and as raw material for pulpwood and paper. The current proportion of pine trees in the forests of Czechia is 16.1%, while in the recommended composition of forests, their representation is higher by 0.7% (MZe 2020). Pine plantations are susceptible to damage by factors both abiotic (wind, drought, snow) and biotic (herbivorous, bark- and wood-destroying insects). These factors are interconnected by mutually reinforcing relationships (Dobbertin et al 2007; Sierota et al 2019)

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