Session 1: Recent trends in forest pests and diseases occurrence, with special emphasis on bark beetle outbreaks, in individual countries and regions, and future expectations
Bark-beetle outbreaks in Central Europe have been developing considerably in recent years, causing much concern, although the situation varies among countries. While infestation levels are decreasing in some regions, in others they are on the rise. Overall, the more humid weather conditions in recent years helped to calm the situation in large areas, but the risk of recurrence due to repeated change of weather conditions in the short term remains high. For instance, historically high amounts of infestation were recorded in Bavaria, Germany, in 2024 despite a declining trend in the previous years. Another facet of novel dynamics comprises the shift of bark beetle infestations to higher elevations, as has been taking place in several mountainous regions, for instance in Italy or Austria.
Forest protection specialists from different countries are called to share their ideas and insights about the current bark beetle situation in their region of focus, to exchange information, and to build a comprehensive overview of the current dynamics at larger scales. We will discuss the ongoing bark beetle calamity, particularly in spruce stands, but also other forest stands (e.g., pine, fir, etc.), as well as other possible forest protection issues, including diseases or further damages, emerging new threats, methodology of survey, and possibilities of mitigation the damages. We propose a more informal organization of the section, but we would still hope for at least one representative talk per country. It would be useful if the presentations address the short history of the bark beetle (or other disturbance agent) calamity (start, spatial extent and dynamics over time), its current situation (infestation volume and sanitary cutting, and, if available, the situation in different categories of forest ownership), protection methods applied (including observations of their effectiveness), as well as short-term and long-term perspectives.