Scientists from the VN Sukachev Forest Institute of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Krasnoyarsk have proposed a new method for predicting the attacks of insect pests on Siberian forests. The approach of a dangerous period can be determined by the growth rings of tree trunks. This was reported to Gazeta.ru by the Russian Science Foundation (RSF), which supported this work.
Experts have created a model in which the dynamics of change in the width of the rings reflects the resistance of the tree to external factors.
The researchers tracked the effect of the gypsy moth on birch trees in the Novosibirsk region, as well as the effect of the Siberian silkworm on Siberian fir and the pine moth on pine in the south of the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
Examining the growth rings of more than two hundred specimens from 1976 to 2021, the experts concluded that the most attractive targets for pests were “melancholic” trees with slow growth regulation. They are the first to be invaded during the period of rapid proliferation of parasites.
According to research, after an insect attack, the growth of trees temporarily slows down and the growth rings become thinner. Therefore, plants with a weak and slow type of annual ring growth arrangement remain in regions of maximum risk.
at the Forest Institute. Sukachev SB RAS noted that epidemics of mass distribution of harmful insects occur in Siberia every 8-14 years. They damage hundreds of thousands of hectares of forest by severely damaging green areas, so it’s important for forest conservationists to learn to locate sources of infection quickly to prevent epidemics.
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