Dresden (dpa/sn) - Saxony's forests are less affected by pests such as the bark beetle this year than in 2021. Despite the declining infestation, the insects still colonized the bark and wood of many trees in the Free State, which is why countermeasures will continue to be taken in the future had to be consistently implemented and improved, said Sachsenforst on Friday. Due to the persistently heavy pest infestation, new massive forest damage could occur in the coming months. The reason for the general decline in infestation was, among other things, more favorable weather conditions this year, it said.
The trees in the Oberlausitzer Bergland, the Zittau Mountains and Saxon Switzerland are particularly badly affected. According to Sachsenforst, the severity of the insect infestation varies greatly from region to region. While the infestation also continued to increase in the western Ore Mountains and the Vogtland, lower-lying parts of Saxony were able to record declining numbers compared to the previous year.
In Saxon Switzerland, spruce trees in particular died off due to insect infestation. In the lower-lying regions, deciduous trees such as oaks, beeches and ash trees in particular suffered from drought and pests.
