How will be Europe’s forests looking like after the bark beetle calamity?

Not only forests in the Czech Republic, but all forests throughout the wider Central European region have been facing extensive bark beetle calamity for several years. So forest owners, as well as foresters, scientists and the state administration are wondering by which way the forests should be restored after this calamity event.

This is the topic of international scientific conference
“FORESTS´ FUTURE – Consequences of Bark Beetle Calamity in Central Europe”,
which will be held on June 21–23, 2022,
under the auspices of the Minister of Agriculture Ing. Zdeněk Nekula
and which will be organized by the Forestry and Game Management Research Institute (FGMRI)
Conference venue: Conference Center “Dělnický dům”, Žižkova 1696/15, 586 01 Jihlava, 49.3945061N, 15.5843969E

Experts and scientists from nine European countries will discuss the current state and expected development of the bark beetle calamity, as well as the issue of restoration of damaged forests and the impact on the economy of the forest sector and forest policy will be discussed in four sections.

After several years of the COVID-19 pandemic, which made personal contacts as impossible, there is finally an opportunity to meet in person and share our experiences, knowledge and opinions. Also, the affected forests will be visited and their restoration will be discussed there, as well as the problems associated with this topic will be discussed directly on the clearings localities. In cooperation with the Czech Republic Forests state enterprise, the excursion route is prepared for the participants on Thursday, June 24, where restoration of some large-area clearings is in the process.

Although the bark beetle calamity slowed last year, the staggering extent and size of the clearings, the continuing disintegration of the forest stands, as well as the need for afforestation and forest upbringing, together with assignments connected with the protection against game damage and the economic problems of forest owners, this all is the more acute. Last but not least, the extreme natural climatic conditions arising on the clearings, this is possible to characterise as the fatal impact which has not been encountered to such an extent by several generations of foresters. As equally limiting, this is the unusually high number of ungulate game.

So, the crucial question is, is this just one of the many adverse episodes that forestry has to face, or is it a major turning point in the forestry sector?

We invite all those interested in the latest information to the conference and especially we are inviting you on the excursion, to use the opportunity to speak to the experts and find out what they think about the future of Europe’s forests.

Regeneration of forests after the bark beetle calamity, this is a problem for several decades.

For more detailed information, please contact Dr. Vít Šrámek, Associate Professor,

E maill: sramek@vulhm.cz, mobil: +420 602 260 808

Illustration photos: calamity clearings localities prepared for forest regeneration, damages of forests caused by wind. Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, FGMRI archive.