Drought leaves Salzburg forests vulnerable to bark beetles

Weeks of almost no rainfall and an unusually severe heatwave have put Salzburg’s forests under significant stress, with older stands particularly affected and bark beetles spreading. ORF reported that forest owners are being forced to cut trees earlier than planned.

In Eugendorf, forest owner Michael Radauer is currently harvesting hundreds of cubic metres of timber from trees that were not originally intended for felling. Bark beetles have settled beneath the bark.

“At the beginning of spring, we thought the bark beetle situation would not be that bad,” Radauer said. “But because it stayed dry for so long, it eventually happened. We treated a few areas in June and then thought the situation had calmed down. But now it has become severe.”

Spruce forests particularly vulnerable

Spruce forests are especially affected. Spruce makes up about two thirds of Salzburg’s forests, making it the region’s dominant tree species.

When spruce trees have little water available, they are more vulnerable to bark beetles and less able to defend themselves, said Martin Winkler, a forestry adviser at the Chamber of Agriculture. In a normal year, the trees would produce enough resin to expel and kill the beetles, he said. This year, they have not been able to do so.

The infestation caused by heat and drought is not yet dramatic across Salzburg, Winkler said, but it could become so. Individual trees and small bark beetle infestations are appearing throughout the region. They need to be removed from the forest as quickly as possible to prevent the infestation from spreading, he said.

Forest owners are hoping for sustained rainfall, particularly enough moisture in the soil for spring. Rupert Quehenberger, president of the Chamber of Agriculture, said the region had received very little precipitation and had lacked soil moisture since November last year.

The price of timber remains stable, which Quehenberger said was also due to new international markets. He referred to a shift towards the American market after the Middle East market had largely collapsed or disappeared, which he attributed to the war in Iran.

More drought-resistant trees planned

Reforestation in Salzburg is also beginning to change. Spruce, fir and beech are increasingly being supplemented by heat-tolerant tree species from southern regions, Winkler said. These include Douglas fir from Canada, as well as Atlas cedar and Lebanon cedar. Native species such as silver fir and oak can also cope well with drought, he said.

Forest owners do not yet want to abandon Salzburg’s traditional mixed forests. However, conventional spruce stands are expected to become less common. Forest covers about half of Salzburg’s land, and the damage is already visible across large areas in some places.