Forest stand indicators of spruce stands damaged by the bark beetle in the Moscow region

Presented are the findings of a study on anthropogenic, biotic and abiotic factors contributing to the mass dieback of spruce stands within the Moscow Region. Particular attention is given to the damage inflicted on spruce forests by the European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus L.), which leads to the weakening of tree stands and the subsequent accumulation of deadwood, windthrow and windbreak. The research objective is an assessment of silvicultural and taxation characteristics of bark beetle-damaged spruce stands in the Moscow Region, based on ground survey data. On the lands of the state forest fund of the Moscow Region, 19 sample plots have been established. The main taxation characteristics of the stands were determined on these plots, and the weighted average sanitary condition category (SCC) was calculated. The damaged stands are characterized by high class of bonitet, relative stand density ranging from 0.2 to 0.6 units, timber volumes between 104 and 419 m³/ha, and ages of 45 to 120 years. It was noted that mature and overmature stands exhibit unsatisfactory sanitary conditions. A strong correlation was identified between the percentage of spruce trees colonized by bark beetle and the mean sanitary condition category (r = 0.91). A significant increase was observed in the proportion of trees assigned to the 5th sanitary category – rising from 27.4% in severely weakened stands to 91.3% in dead stands. The study underscores the necessity of implementing timely ground-based forest pathological monitoring to detect pest outbreak foci and prescribe sanitation and forest health improvement measures. This is critical for enhancing the sanitary condition of forest stands in the Moscow Region and preventing their mortality.

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