1. Practice and legislation of felling residue management to prevent forest pests in European forestsMaarten De Groot, Tine Hauptman, Kristjan Ait, Flavius Balacenoiu, Eckehard Brockerhoff, Luka Capuder, György Csóka, Mirza Dautbašić, Massimo Faccoli, Juraj Galko, Marija Kolšek, 2026, original scientific article Abstract: In the last few decades, bark beetle outbreaks have increased in European forests, triggered by extreme weather events, such as drought and windstorms. A core element of integrated pest management to control outbreaks are salvage logging and sanitation felling, i.e., the timely removal or treatment of potential brood material and already infested trees after disturbance events. Associated with these management operations as well as with regular, planned thinning and cutting, felling residues, such as treetops, branches and stumps that remain in the forest provide potentially suitable breeding material for bark beetles and may trigger further outbreak events. Although felling residue management is part of regular forest management in most of Europe, no overview exists on its use throughout the continent. To fill this gap, we gathered forest health experts from 20 European countries and used a questionnaire to provide information on felling residue management in the context of forest protection in managed forests. Relevant legislation in these countries was reviewed for regulations concerning this topic. We found that most countries have felling residue management in their legislation and/or perform it in practice. In 12 of the 20 countries, felling residue management is being applied to manage bark beetles, particularly in areas that have experienced large-scale outbreaks in the last few decades. Felling residues are mainly managed in forests dominated by Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst) and pines (Pinus spp.) (in 19 and 17 of the countries, respectively). The most frequently used management methods on a European level were piling or mulching of felling residues. These methods were used in 14 and 16 of the countries, respectively. Besides bark beetle management, use of residues for bioenergy (4 countries) and biodiversity conservation (6 countries) was reported. The diversity of felling residue management practices across Europe may reflect differences in forest policies and climatic gradients that are affecting bark beetle outbreak risks. This overview presents the variety of felling residue management applied across 20 European countries, highlighting the reasons for and implications of its use, as well as further research needs.
Keywords: bark beetles, Europe, forest health, Pityogenes chalcographus, Ips typographus, logging residues
Published in DiRROS: 10.07.2026; Views: 214; Downloads: 143
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2. The impact of sanitary felling during large-scale disturbances on regulating ecosystem services in norway spruce-dominated Pre-Alpine beech forests of SloveniaAnže Martin Pintar, Andreja Ferreira, Pia Höfferle, Anže Japelj, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: Ecosystem services (ES) are closely linked to nature-based solutions, which can mitigate the negative impacts of climate change or provide society with direct tangible and intangible benefits. In the context of a changing climate, it is essential to preserve these services despite increasing disturbances. In this study, we analysed changes in the structure and composition of the Jelovica forest complex (NW Slovenia) over the past two decades and assessed the provision of key regulating forest ES—specifically, soil erosion control, regulation of surface and groundwater flows, and regional climate regulation. The area has historically seen the artificial promotion of Norway spruce and, in recent decades, has been increasingly affected by large-scale disturbances and bark beetle outbreaks. We examined how these climate-related disturbances have influenced the availability of regulating ES. Over the past twenty years, the share of spruce in the growing stock in the Jelovica area decreased from 67% to 62%. We compared structural and compositional changes between two periods, 2001–2009 and 2015–2023, based on available forest management data. In both periods, mature stands were the dominant developmental stage. In the northwestern part of the Jelovica plateau, where extensive sanitary felling was carried out, the proportion of sapling stands increased significantly—unlike in other parts of the plateau. Areas affected by extensive sanitary felling exhibited statistically significantly lower evapotranspiration and reduced soil erosion control capacity, as well as higher levels of groundwater recharge, compared to other areas.
Keywords: growing stock, natural disturbances, bark beetles, sanitary felling, regulating ecosystem services, groundwater recharge, evapotranspiration, erosion
Published in DiRROS: 03.11.2025; Views: 735; Downloads: 457
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3. Influence of residual felling on bark beetles and other insect diversityMaarten De Groot, Luka Capuder, I. G. Farah Kootstra, Martin Križaj, Marija Kolšek, Mitja Ferlan, Tine Hauptman, 2025, complete scientific database of research data Keywords: research data, bark beetles
Published in DiRROS: 30.06.2025; Views: 1015; Downloads: 621
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4. Estimating the most effective and economical pheromone for monitoring the European spruce bark beetleNina Šramel, Andreja Kavčič, Marija Kolšek, Maarten De Groot, 2021, original scientific article Abstract: In recent decades, there have been an increasing number of outbreaks of Ips typographus in Europe. A large amount of sanitary felling has taken place, with significant economic and ecological consequences. In order to anticipate such large%scale outbreaks, an effective monitoring system should be set up. One important aspect of monitoring is deciding which pheromone to use. Therefore, we decided to test five different commercially available pheromone lures under different disturbance conditions: Pheroprax%, IT Ecolure Extra%, Ipstyp%, Ipsowit% and Typosan%. We investigated the ability of the pheromones to distinguish between disturbed and undisturbed locations, their cost%efficiency ratio, and side effects such as bycatch abundance and composition. We set 50 traps in two areas with sites that were disturbed and undisturbed by windstorms. We collected the catch from traps every 1%2 weeks from the end of March until the end of September in 2019. We found that IT Ecolure Extra%, Ipsowit% and % Pheroprax% caught the most I. typographus and best showed changes in the trap catch of I. typographus throughout the whole season. There was a low amount of bycatch (<6% of the total catch) and a low number of predators (a few specimens), but some groups seem to prefer certain pheromones. The cost of the pheromones increased with their effectiveness. However, pheromone costs are low relative to the personnel costs involved in setting traps and collecting the catch. Based on all of the gathered data, we created an index which helps to assess the cost%efficiency of the five chosen commercially available pheromones. We also present guidelines on how to make such an index to assist other researchers in choosing the right pheromone for monitoring populations of I. typographus or other bark beetle species.
Keywords: bark beetles, cost-efficiency, Ips typographus, monitoring pheromones, Picea abies
Published in DiRROS: 21.01.2021; Views: 3080; Downloads: 1903
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