Investigations of mature Scots pine stands in wind-throw areas in Norway spruce forests in Western Rhodopes

Abstract

We investigated the current health condition (defoliation), state of natural regeneration, and mycoflora and phytopathogen-caused attacks in Scots pine forests (Pinus sylvestris L.) planted in the 1960s in areas affected by wind disturbances in the West Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria. Some damage types (resin outflow and anthropogenic damage) were present to a low extent in the research plots (S – Selishte and PK – Pobit Kamak). Some were missing completely (damage by deer and other animals, the presence of lignicolous fungi and abiotic damage). The most important results of this study were the following: i) the occurrence of the bark beetle pest Tomicus minor Hartig (Coleoptera, Scolytinae) was recorded on average in 4.6 (S) and 2.3 (PK) of fallen shoots under the tree crown within 1 m diameter around the stem; ii) significant damage to tree crowns due to the loss of assimilation organs in Scots pine trees (28% – S and 39% – PK, respectively) was several times higher than that recorded in Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) (10%); iii) tree species composition resulting from natural regeneration showed 95–100% proportion of Norway spruce despite the predominance of Scots pine in the maternal stand. These observations might provide evidence of unsuitable environmental conditions in the studied localities for pine forests on the southern range of the natural P. sylvestris occurrence. Forest management in similar ecological and climatic conditions should aim at significant diversification of the forest stand structure by utilizing tree species suitable for the given ecosystems.

Wood-inhabiting macromycete communities in spruce stands on former agricultural land

“…We recorded the presence of 6 characteristics of damage with the presence or absence of damage being recorded for each tree. The method of phytopathological evaluation of trunks was later used by Barna et al (2020) also in mature pine stands in Bulgaria.…”

Scots pine forest in Central Europe as a habitat for Harmonia axyridis: temporal and spatial patterns in the population of an alien ladybird

“…The Scots pine is the most widely distributed species of pine in the world, extending from Europe to northern Manchuria and the sea of Okhotsk (Critchfield and Little, 1966;Rehfeldt et al, 2002;Barna et al, 2020). Our study provides insights into the year-round dynamics of H. axyridis in monoculture Scots pine forest in south-west Slovakia (Central Europe).…”

Population Dynamics of Ips sexdentatus (Börner) in the Czech Republic

“…However, rising temperatures are creating favorable conditions for it to thrive in areas where it was previously scarce or absent. In fact, several European countries have reported an increase in occurrence and damage caused by pine bark beetles, including Austria, the Czech Republic, and Bulgaria [16][17][18][19].…”