Forest pest

Forest pests: beetles. From Meyer's Konversations-Lexikon (1885–90). In the headline is the name "Waldverderber", which was common at the time.

Forest pests: spinners. From Meyer's Konversations-Lexikon (1885–90).

Compilation of forest-damaging swarmers and moths from Julius Theodor Christian Ratzeburg : Die Waldverderbnis (1866–68), 2nd volume

Forest pests are all kinds of animals, plants and microorganisms that negatively affect the growth or health of the tree population in commercial forests. This includes insect pests such as gypsy moths , bark beetles , mushrooms , mice or even game that eats the buds and shoots of young plants ( game browsing ) and damages the bark of trees .

The so-called forest pests are usually primary consumers or destructive members of the forest ecosystem . The term “pest” therefore does not make ecological sense, but is used in an economic context. Many species only appear as pests in the true sense of the word when they go through a gradation due to the appropriate environmental conditions and their food requirements increase exponentially. On the other hand, trees can be so weakened by environmental influences such as “ acid rain ”, wind breaks or long periods of drought that they can no longer defend themselves against the pests and die.

Various forest protection instruments are available for the prevention and control of forest pests , which can be divided into silvicultural, biological, biotechnical, mechanical, biochemical or chemical processes.

See also

• Forest damage
• Wood pest
• Herbal defense against herbivores

literature

• Wolfgang Schwenke (Hrsg.) Among others: The forest pests of Europe. A manual in 5 volumes.
  • Volume 1: worms , snails , arachnids , millipedes and hemimetabolic insects. Parey, Hamburg and Berlin 1972, ISBN 3-490-11016-1 .
  • Volume 2: Beetles . Parey, Hamburg and Berlin 1974, ISBN 3-490-11016-1 .
  • Volume 3: Butterflies . Parey, Hamburg and Berlin 1978, ISBN 3-490-11316-0 .
  • Volume 4: Hymenoptera and Diptera . Parey, Hamburg 1982, ISBN 3-490-11416-7 .
  • Volume 5: Vertebrates . Parey, Hamburg 1986, ISBN 3-490-11516-3 .
• Fritz Schwerdtfeger : The forest diseases. Textbook of forest pathology and forest protection. 4th, revised edition. Parey, Hamburg and Berlin 1981, ISBN 3-490-09116-7 .
• Heinz Butin : Diseases of the forest and park trees. Diagnosis, biology, control. 2 spore boards. 3rd, revised and expanded edition. Thieme, Stuttgart and New York 1996, ISBN 3-13-639003-2 .