Biotic factors damaging forest stands in Gornata Koria and Chuprene Reserves in Western Balkan Range, Bulgaria

By

Georgieva, Margarita
Georgiev, Georgi
Mirchev, Plamen
Zaemdzhikova, Gergana
Doychev, Danail
Bencheva, Sonya
Zafirov, Nikolay
Dimitrov, Stelian
Iliev, Martin
Trenkin, Vladislav

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2021-11-19

Original Publication

Silva Balcanica

Volume

22

Series / Issue

Issue: 2

Pages

91--102

Subjects

fungal pathogens , health condition , Insect pests , Protected areas

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Forest Research Institute - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (FRI-BAS) [2001]-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/silvabalcanica.22.e77233

 

Abstract

AbstractAssessment and monitoring of health status in deteriorated forest stands in Gornata Koria and Chuprene Reserves in Western Balkan Range (Bulgaria) were conducted in 2017. An integrated approach (based on remote sensing technologies and terrestrial validation) was applied. A series of subsequent terrain observations were carried out in both protected areas mainly in dead or in poor health status stands. As a result, sixteen insect species were identified in Gornata Koria and nine pests in Chuprene Reserves. The predominant number of pests included bark beetles and weevils (Curculionidae), longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae), etc. Attacks caused by the European bark beetle (Ips typographus) formed the main disturbance in the Norway spruce forests in both reserves. Ten parasitic and ten saprophytic fungi were identified in the stands of the Norway spruce (Picea abies), silver fir (Abies alba) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica). Among the parasitic fungi, six species were identified as destructive (Armillaria sp., Heterobasidion annosum, Fomitopsis pinicola, Fomes fomentarius, Ramaria flava and Pholiota squarrosa).