Use of anti-attractants in specific conditions of protected areas

Abstract

Tests for protection of spruce forest stands against spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) by using anti-attractants were performed in specific conditions of protected areas in which standard sanitary cutting is not allowed. The experiments have shown that application of anti-attractants in a no-cutting zone can significantly reduce bark beetle attacks on the standing trees. In case when the trees at stand edges are not damaged by wind, there is possible to reduce the tree mortality by up to 73%, even in case of large bark beetle populations and even in living green trees growing immediately next to trees attacked by spruce bark beetle. On the other hand, anti-attractants are ineffective at stand edge segments either damaged by freshly wind-thrown or broken trees or wedged with wind-thrown areas, as it was shown in semi-application tests in the NP šumava.