Quantitative and qualitative losses in wood of oriental spruce, Picea orientalis (L.) Link., induced by insects from forest to utility

IRG/WP 08-10647

H A Akinci, M Eroglu, G E Özcan, Ü C Yildiz

In this study, some quantitative and qualitative losses in wood of oriental spruce, Picea orientalis (L.) Link., induced by insects from forest to utility were evaluated. In experimental plots, volume of trees damaged by Dendroctonus micans (Kug.) was 34% of the volume of total standing spruce trees in the oriental spruce forests of Turkey. The volume of standing trees that D. micans damaged was 900,7 m3. The volume of trees that the damage was continuing was 451,4 m3 and trees that were cut in the last decade have a volume of 274,9 m3. According to this result, in the 120.000 ha epidemic area of D. micans, 22,8 million m3 standing trees were damaged by the beetle and damage was continuing in 11,43 million m3 standing trees. A total of 6,96 million m3 trees were cut in the last decade. A total of 437 standing spruce trees were evaluated and 40 of them were cut in 0,87 ha in the areas with severe Ips typographus (L.) damage. The average beetle number per tree was 11.432, 18.739, 37.208, 14.447 and 12.380 in the years 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007, respectively. Volume of the damaged standing trees in the experimental plots and 15.000 ha spruce forest area where these plots locate in was calculated as 280 m3 and 4,8 million m3, respectively. Volume of heavily infested trees in the experimental plots and whole epidemic area was 120 m3 and 2,2 million m3, respectively. Total volume of damaged standing trees in hectare and heavily infested trees was 314,6 m3 and 151,4 m3, respectively. Volume of damaged trees and heavily infested trees was 9,43 million m3 and 4,54 million m3 in the 30.000 ha epidemic area, respectively.


Keywords: insect epidemic, volume of infested trees, loss of wood for products, decreasing wood quality, reducing grade of timber, stem deformity, preserving forest health

Conference: 08-05-25/29, Istanbul, Turkey


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