European forests are under increasing pressure from global change-driven invasions and accelerating epidemics by insects and diseases
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Rising temperatures attributed to anthropogenic climate change have held a firm grip on European forests for over two decades now and disturbances have increased substantially, mainly from insects and pathogens. Empirical evidence suggests a direct linkage between rising temperatures and increasing damage from native insects. Although the rapid spread of non-native invasive pests and pathogens is mainly driven by globalized trade and lacking tree species adaptation to locally new threats, climate change favors rapid range expansion of some invasive pests. Here, we present some examples of tree-insect-pathogen interactions in native and non-native systems that have experienced climate change-induced severe outbreak dynamics. We document the spread of damaging insects and pathogens into previously climatically unsuitable regions and underscore the severe forest damages such species distribution shifts can cause. Although systematic assessments are still pending, the information provided here by multiple independent empirical evidences is highly valuable for identifying some of the most pressing issues in European forest protection. Our work can guide forest protection agencies in preparing mitigating strategies for upcoming decades.
Source: Journal für Kulturpflanzen
Authors: Hartmann, Henrik, Battisti, Andrea, Brockerhoff, Eckehard G., Bełka, Marta, Hurling, Rainer, Jactel, Hervé, Oliva, Jonàs, Rousselet, Jerome, Terhonen, Eeva, Ylioja, Tiina, Melin, Markus, Olson, Åke, De Prins, Freja, Zhang, Ke, Åslund, Matilda Stein, Davydenko, Kateryna, Menkis, Audrius, Elfstrand, Malin, Zúbrik, Milan, Kunca, Andrej, Galko, Juraj, Paulin, Márton, Csóka, György, Hoch, Gernot, Pernek, Milan, Preidl, Sebastian, Fischer, Rico
Institutions: Julius Kühn-Institut, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, University of Göttingen, University of Padua, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Nordwestdeutsche Forstliche Versuchsanstalt, Université de Bordeaux, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement, UMR BIOdiversity, GEnes & Communities, Universitat de Lleida, Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia, Agrotecnio - Centre for Food and Agriculture Research, Zoologie forestière, Natural Resources Institute Finland, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, National Forest Centre, Forest Research Institute, University of Sopron, Austrian Research Centre for Forests, Croatian Forest Research Institute
Language: English
Subfield: Ecology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDGs: Life on land, Climate action
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4415026645