Insects Associated with Reforestation and Their Management in Poland

Weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) are the most important pest insects of forest plantations established on clear-cut areas, and Hylobius abietis is a pest insect of great economic importance in Europe. Pinus sylvestris plantations and thickets established on sandy soils or postfire areas can be severely impacted by Cneorhinus plagiatus and Brachyderes incanus. Young pine forests weakened by biotic and abiotic factors are particularly susceptible to Pissodes castaneus. Buds and shoots of P. sylvestris trees are mainly damaged by Lepidoptera larvae. For many years, chemical treatments have been the main way of protecting forests against insects. At present, to reduce the pollution of forest environments with insecticides, the strategy of integrated pest management (IPM) was put into practice. It involves prophylactic measures to increase plant resistance to insect attacks and to select appropriate control methods based on a multistep decision support system (DSS). Nonchemical control measures aim at collecting pest insects in traps fitted with attractants and biological methods, mainly based on entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) and wood-decomposing fungi. Chemical insecticides are used only in cases of high threats to reforestation stands. This paper presents the state of knowledge concerning pest insect management in forest plantations in Europe, with particular emphasis on insects occurring in Poland

Bibliometric analysis in the evaluation of journals published by the Forest Research Institute: Forest Research Papers and Folia Forestalia Polonica Series A – Forestry

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in interest in publishing articles in journals recorded by global databases, in particular the Web of Science ™ Core Collection, which indexes journals found in the Journal Citation Reports. The publication of results in these journals has a significant impact on the assessment of the achievements of researchers and scientific institutions. Our study focused on the bibliometric analysis of two journals published by the Forest Research Institute: Forest Research Papers (Leśne Prace Badawcze) and Folia Forestalia Polonica Series A – Forestry. The results of these analyses were used to develop theoretical indices for the editorial boards of these journals in terms of requirements for including both periodicals in the Journal Citation Reports. The analysis covered the volumes published in 2000–2015 and the publication activity of the journals was evaluated on the basis of the numbers of articles, references, authors and journal citations. Bibliometric indicators such as the predicted Impact Factor, the Hirsch index, the Scimago Journal Rank and the Index Copernicus Value were used to evaluate the rank of the journals within the databases. In the examined period, 65 volumes of Forest Research Papers were published, with an average of 31 articles per year containing about 14,000 references and almost 900 contributing authors. During the same time frame, 30 volumes of Folia Forestalia Polonica Series A – Forestry were published, with an average of 14 articles per year. These articles included approximately 5,000 references and 600 authors. An increase in the bibliometric indicators for both journals was observed with the Impact Factor predicted to rise to 0.192 (Forest Research Papers) and 0.178 (Folia Forestalia Polonica Series A – Forestry). In order for the two examined journals to be included in the Journal Citation Reports the following requirements need to be met: (1) an increased number of articles published by authors with significant international authority in their field, (2) a greater number of researchers, especially from developed countries, in advisory boards, (3) more articles published in individual volumes to reach higher citation numbers in databases, and (4) promotion of the most cited articles

Current Problems and Tasks of Forest Protection in Poland

Current problems of forest protection concern the declining health of forest stands due to climate change and the resulting extreme weather events such as heat waves, droughts, hurricane winds, heavy rainfalls and floods. Repeated impacts of these factors increase susceptibility of forest stands to pest insects and fungal pathogens. Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] H. Karst) is sensitive to high air temperatures and water shortage. Long lasting droughts during the last two decades, have been one of the reasons behind Norway spruce dieback due to severe outbreak of European spruce bark beetle Ips typographus (L.) in the mountainous regions of southern Poland. In the Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stands, water balance disorders have enhanced the colonization of weekend trees by steelblue jewel beetle Phaenops cyanea (F.) and engraver beetle Ips acuminatus (Gyll.), as well as contributed to the spread of fungal diseases caused by Gremmeniella abietina (Lagerb.) Cenangium ferruginosum Fr. and Sphaeropsis sapinea Fr. fungi. Water related stress leads to weakening of oak stands, which are attacked by Agrilus spp. beetles and pathogens from the genus Phytophthora. It is possible that long lasting droughts initiated the spread of infectious ash disease caused by Hymenoscyphus fraxineus (= Chalara fraxinea), which resulted in the epidemic of ash dieback throughout Europe. Until recently, the use of plant protection products was the most common method of forest protection against pest insects and pathogens. Poland’s accession to the European Union has affected the marketing and use of plant protection products in the country. The implementation of the EU legislation (Directive 91/414/EEC, Directive 2009/128/ EC and Regulation No 1107/2009) has resulted in decreased assortment of pesticides registered for the protection of forests. High costs and long registration process considerably limited the interest of producers in placing the plant protection products on the market. Systematic decrease in the number of plant protection products possible to register for use in forestry, as well as the principles of integrated plant protection established in the EU in 2014 call for seeking plant protection methods based on the natural enemies of pests, such as pathogenic microorganisms, parasites and predators. Therefore, contemporary forest protection requires the advancement of integrated methods for pest insect and disease control through developing methods of forecasting forest dangers, the use of natural enemies and agro-technical methods for regulation of pests, as well as the development of decision support systems as a tool facilitating introduction of integrated forest protection principles. Such support systems help to establish optimal terms for the implementation of protection measures, so as to increase their efficiency while limiting the use of chemical pesticides to an absolute minimum

Current Problems of Forest Protection (25–27 October 2022, Katowice Poland)

Forestry is one of the sectors particularly affected by the threats posed by changing climatic conditions. This is reflected in the deterioration of the health status of stands due to the synergistic effect of numerous abiotic and biotic factors. Current forest health problems are due to dynamic, negative changes in the forest environment. While the amount of precipitation remains at a similar level, its distribution varies throughout the year and, in particular, the lack of soil moisture during the growing season leads to the weakening of trees, including the main forest-forming species in Poland such as Pinus sylvestris. The weakening of trees, in turn, leads to species of insect pests that were previously considered secondary becoming primary pests, such as Ips acuminatus. It is likely that weakening of trees also favours increased occurrence of parasitic plants such as Viscum album ssp. austriacum or Loranthus europaeus. Infestations of the hemiparasitic, xylem-secreting pine mistletoe are of great interest because they are spreading rapidly throughout Europe. Drought in forests is not only a long-term water shortage, but also a situation in which plant-fungal relationships are disrupted. Reduced water availability leads to a number of negative changes in the soil and the mycobiota that live there, affecting entire ecosystems. The effects of climate change and increased international trade are leading to the spread of pathogenic fungi and other harmful organisms whose range was previously restricted to the south of our continent. Unfavourable abiotic and biotic factors leading to weakening of oak stands in the western part of Poland have resulted in activation of new pests like Mediterranean oak borer. Intensification of transport and shortening of its duration, as well as climatic changes, favour the introduction of various organisms, including bark beetles (Scolytinae). In Poland, cyclic insect outbreaks are one of the most important problems in forest protection. Developing methods to monitor, prevent outbreaks and control the density of insect populations below harmful levels can be a challenge to consider. Finding an innovative system for applying insecticides to control spruce bark beetle could also be an interesting solution, where insects attracted to pheromones die after contact with the insecticide. Contact with the insecticide has a dual effect: either directly when the tree is treated, or when the bark beetle attempts to invade the tree. Opportunities for the use of biostimulants in forestry and is an attractive way to regenerate plants after negative stressors such as frost, drought or damage caused by improper use of pesticides, as well as the negative effects of diseases and pests. It acts indirectly by stimulating leaf, stem and root development and improving nutrient uptake. The effects of chemical treatments on fungal biodiversity in forests should be studied using powerful molecular tools such as NGS

Effects of location of Norway spruce (Picea abies) stumps on their colonisation by insects in the mountains

Tree stumps provide habitat for insect assemblages, which are influenced by various factors. Among these factors, physical and chemical changes of the stumps, fungi developing in the dead wood and stump size are most often reported. However there is limited information about the abundance of insects in stumps that are located on mountains where there are different microclimatic conditions. The studies pointed at the determination whether the location of Picea abies stumps in mountains at different altitudes above sea level and on mountainsides with different sun exposure has an impact on the frequency of insects colonising them. The study was carried out in the Eastern Sudety Mountains situated in south-western Poland. The stumps were in clearcuts located at the altitudes 600–700 m and 900–1000 m above sea level and on southern and northern mountainsides. The insects were collected from 0.05 m2 of bark from each stump and identified to the family, order or species level. The numbers of insects in the stumps were modelled with the use of the Poisson distribution or the negative binomial distribution and the generalised linear models. Picea abies stumps were colonised by insects from 16 families in 3 orders (Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera) in which the Coleoptera was most frequently represented by the families Cerambycidae, Curculionidae (with the sub-family Scolytinae). In the stumps located at the elevation of 900–1000 m there were 28% more insects than in the stumps at 600–700 m. The stumps located on mountainsides with northern exposure were colonised more abundantly by Cerambycidae. Numbers of Curculionidae in the stumps were affected by altitude. Most Curculionidae were found in the stumps located at the elevation 900–1000 m above sea level. The interaction of altitude and mountainside exposure showed more insects in the stumps at higher altitude, regardless of the mountainside exposure. The results showed that the total number of insects in the stumps was influenced by their location in mountains

Effects of location of Norway spruce (Picea abies) stumps on their colonisation by insects in the mountains

Tree stumps provide habitat for insect assemblages, which are influenced by various factors. Among these factors, physical and chemical changes of the stumps, fungi developing in the dead wood and stump size are most often reported. However there is limited information about the abundance of insects in stumps that are located on mountains where there are different microclimatic conditions. The studies pointed at the determination whether the location of Picea abies stumps in mountains at different altitudes above sea level and on mountainsides with different sun exposure has an impact on the frequency of insects colonising them. The study was carried out in the Eastern Sudety Mountains situated in south-western Poland. The stumps were in clearcuts located at the altitudes 600–700 m and 900–1000 m above sea level and on southern and northern mountainsides. The insects were collected from 0.05 m2 of bark from each stump and identified to the family, order or species level. The numbers of insects in the stumps were modelled with the use of the Poisson distribution or the negative binomial distribution and the generalised linear models. Picea abies stumps were colonised by insects from 16 families in 3 orders (Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera) in which the Coleoptera was most frequently represented by the families Cerambycidae, Curculionidae (with the sub-family Scolytinae). In the stumps located at the elevation of 900–1000 m there were 28% more insects than in the stumps at 600–700 m. The stumps located on mountainsides with northern exposure were colonised more abundantly by Cerambycidae. Numbers of Curculionidae in the stumps were affected by altitude. Most Curculionidae were found in the stumps located at the elevation 900–1000 m above sea level. The interaction of altitude and mountainside exposure showed more insects in the stumps at higher altitude, regardless of the mountainside exposure. The results showed that the total number of insects in the stumps was influenced by their location in mountains

Current Problems of Forest Protection (25–27 October 2022, Katowice Poland)

Forestry is one of the sectors particularly affected by the threats posed by changing climatic conditions. This is reflected in the deterioration of the health status of stands due to the synergistic effect of numerous abiotic and biotic factors. Current forest health problems are due to dynamic, negative changes in the forest environment. While the amount of precipitation remains at a similar level, its distribution varies throughout the year and, in particular, the lack of soil moisture during the growing season leads to the weakening of trees, including the main forest-forming species in Poland such as Pinus sylvestris. The weakening of trees, in turn, leads to species of insect pests that were previously considered secondary becoming primary pests, such as Ips acuminatus. It is likely that weakening of trees also favours increased occurrence of parasitic plants such as Viscum album ssp. austriacum or Loranthus europaeus. Infestations of the hemiparasitic, xylem-secreting pine mistletoe are of great interest because they are spreading rapidly throughout Europe. Drought in forests is not only a long-term water shortage, but also a situation in which plant-fungal relationships are disrupted. Reduced water availability leads to a number of negative changes in the soil and the mycobiota that live there, affecting entire ecosystems. The effects of climate change and increased international trade are leading to the spread of pathogenic fungi and other harmful organisms whose range was previously restricted to the south of our continent. Unfavourable abiotic and biotic factors leading to weakening of oak stands in the western part of Poland have resulted in activation of new pests like Mediterranean oak borer. Intensification of transport and shortening of its duration, as well as climatic changes, favour the introduction of various organisms, including bark beetles (Scolytinae). In Poland, cyclic insect outbreaks are one of the most important problems in forest protection. Developing methods to monitor, prevent outbreaks and control the density of insect populations below harmful levels can be a challenge to consider. Finding an innovative system for applying insecticides to control spruce bark beetle could also be an interesting solution, where insects attracted to pheromones die after contact with the insecticide. Contact with the insecticide has a dual effect: either directly when the tree is treated, or when the bark beetle attempts to invade the tree. Opportunities for the use of biostimulants in forestry and is an attractive way to regenerate plants after negative stressors such as frost, drought or damage caused by improper use of pesticides, as well as the negative effects of diseases and pests. It acts indirectly by stimulating leaf, stem and root development and improving nutrient uptake. The effects of chemical treatments on fungal biodiversity in forests should be studied using powerful molecular tools such as NGS

Effects of location of Norway spruce ( Picea abies

Tree stumps provide habitat for insect assemblages, which are influenced by various factors. Among these factors, physical and chemical changes of the stumps, fungi developing in the dead wood and stump size are most often reported. However there is limited information about the abundance of insects in stumps that are located on mountains where there are different microclimatic conditions. The studies pointed at the determination whether the location of Picea abies stumps in mountains at different altitudes above sea level and on mountainsides with different sun exposure has an impact on the frequency of insects colonising them. The study was carried out in the Eastern Sudety Mountains situated in south-western Poland. The stumps were in clearcuts located at the altitudes 600–700 m and 900–1000 m above sea level and on southern and northern mountainsides. The insects were collected from 0.05 m2 of bark from each stump and identified to the family, order or species level. The numbers of insects in the stumps were modelled with the use of the Poisson distribution or the negative binomial distribution and the generalised linear models. Picea abies stumps were colonised by insects from 16 families in 3 orders (Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera) in which the Coleoptera was most frequently represented by the families Cerambycidae, Curculionidae (with the sub-family Scolytinae). In the stumps located at the elevation of 900–1000 m there were 28% more insects than in the stumps at 600–700 m. The stumps located on mountainsides with northern exposure were colonised more abundantly by Cerambycidae. Numbers of Curculionidae in the stumps were affected by altitude. Most Curculionidae were found in the stumps located at the elevation 900–1000 m above sea level. The interaction of altitude and mountainside exposure showed more insects in the stumps at higher altitude, regardless of the mountainside exposure. The results showed that the total number of insects in the stumps was influenced by their location in mountains