Bark beetles are currently responsible for killing an unprecedented number of trees in forests across Europe and North America.
Bark beetles are currently responsible for killing an unprecedented number of trees in forests across Europe and North America. Researchers are therefore urging to step up research into bark beetles – also in view of climate change.
"Bark beetles lay waste to forests" – "Climate change sends beetles into overdrive" – "Bark beetles: can the spruce be saved?": These newspaper headlines of the past weeks covered the explosive growth of bark beetle populations and its devastating impact on timberlands. The problem is not limited to Germany. A comparable situation is encountered in many forests across Central Europe and North America. The consequences of this major infestation are massive: In 2018, the beetles were responsible for ruining around 40 million cubic metres of wood just in Central Europe.
Mass outbreaks of bark beetles usually last a couple of months to years and are followed by sudden declines in the beetle populations. Little is known about this natural phenomenon. In the current issue of the scientific journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution, researchers are therefore calling to step up research into the life cycle of the harmful insects. "We have taken a number of elaborate measures to protect our forests against bark beetles. But we still know very little about what triggers the variations in bark beetle populations," says Peter Biedermann, the lead author of the recently published study.
Read more at University of Würzburg
Image: The European spruce bark beetle is a formidable insect in German timberlands. The bark beetle species is capable of killing large spruce populations in a short period of time. (Image Credit: Rainer Simonis / Nationalpark Bayerischer Wald)
