Drought brings early leaf fall in Lower Austrian forests

Hot, dry weather caused many trees in Lower Austrian forests to change colour and shed their leaves weeks earlier than usual, ORF reported. The full extent of the damage is not yet known.

In a mixed forest between Droß and Gföhl in Krems district, leaves were already covering the ground in early October. Ulrich Schwaiger, head of the forestry department at the Lower Austrian Chamber of Agriculture, said beech trees had shown typical signs of drought stress, including curled leaves and early leaf fall. The trees were about two to three weeks ahead of a typical year.

Foresters and woodland owners will spend the coming weeks removing damaged timber, partly to protect healthy trees from pests such as bark beetles. Schwaiger said the amount of damaged timber was not expected to be significantly higher than in recent years, but the causes were shifting from wind and heavy snow to drought damage and bark beetle infestations.

The extent of the losses will become clearer next year. A winter with enough moisture could allow many deciduous trees to recover and produce new leaves in spring.