Institut für Waldschutz
Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] H.Karst.) showed severe mortality following the extreme summers of 2018 and 2019, but also in the following years, mainly in off-site situations, triggered by epidemic outbreaks of bark beetles. Spruce still is the most abundant tree species in Germany making up about 25% of the German forest area. Despite the dramatic climatic development of the last years, climatically suitable spruce sites will remain in higher locations of lowland mountain ranges. Spruce forests are not only economically very important, but they also provide other important ecosystem services such as habitats for fauna or stabilization of slopes. In view of the advancing climate change, forestry should better protect spruce on suitable sites against pests, especially against spruce bark beetles (Ips typographus L.), and this requires innovative methods. Current protection measures, such as the use of trap trees and pheromone traps or the removal of infested trees are not effective in controlling beetle populations under expected mass development during hot dry summers. Our project provides a basis for measures to effectively control beetle populations. Novel traps will help to control dynamic population growth in the early phase of an oncoming epidemic. We will identify genetic markers for low attraction potential of spruce to bark beetles, in order to develop criteria for the selection of resistant seed trees. Trees with low attraction potential then form the stem generation for a more tolerant spruce regeneration. Our project has a direct application potential, as it will help to reduce acute threats to a large part of the German forest in the mid-term and, at the same time, provide solutions for longer-term conservation of spruce as an important tree species in suitable habitats.FICHTENRETTER combines two subprojects (TV). In our TV 1 we will develop measures using highly attractive scents for efficient control of mass reproduction in the early phase of bark beetle development. TV 2, carried out by the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, addresses the identification of genetic markers for beetle resistant population for seed tree selection.
Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture
