For the correct monitoring and, where possible, application of defensive measures one should identify insect pests as early as possible. Insect populations and other known forest insect pests must first pass over a critical level before they pose a threat to the forest stock. For forest owners and interested parties there is a variety of support material about insects to choose from. From here we will introduce you to some material.
Books
Counted among the classic identification books are Parey’s Book of Insects (M. Chinery, presently not in stock) and Insects of the Forest (G. Amman, ISBN: 978-3-7888-0760-3) especially The Colour Atlas of Forest Damage: Diagnosis of Tree Diseases. (G. Hartmann et al., ISBN: 978-3-8001-4828-8). In Parey’s Book of Insects approximately 2000 European insect species are shown. In Amman’s Insects of the Forest the insects and their stages of development are described as are pictures of grub markings. In The Colour Atlas of Forest Damage different grub and disease markings are displayed according to the tree species which they inhabit, as well as vivid colour photos of insects too.
For forest managers and entomologists there are moreover a variety of good, further reaching, field guides (for example, Forest Protection on Ecological Grounds, Altenkirch et al., ISBN: 978-3-8001-3684-1). Reference is made in this respect to the classic, Forest Diseases (Fritz Schwertfeger, ISBN: 3-490-09116-7).
Fig. 1: Trunk infestation of a White Fir tree (Genus: Dreyfusia) (Foto: FVA/Haas)
Internet
Next to the identification guides/literature, online-support material also exists on the internet. The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) operates an online diagnosis service for forest und tree damage. Here, the tree damage can be determined according to various criteria. Except for several large Pine tree pests, for example the Pine Beauty or the Pine Tree Lappet, the most relevant pests will be listed.
- Diagnosis online: Tree and forest diseases (German and French)
The Federal Research and Training Centre for Forests, Natural Hazards and Landscape (BFW) in Austria can also offer you a damage diagnosis system on their internet site, where you can search by tree species and/or relevant plant parts. The results will be displayed just as on the WSL site.
You can find information on the internet sites of the State Forest Department and the State Forest Enterprise under the keyword, "forest protection". Notice that information sheets for the most important forest insect pests and, respectively, their natural opponents can be downloaded here. The North Rhein-Westphalia State forestry and timber agency offers, for example, a regular warning and information service per post, fax or email.
Experts
Should you not, despite your efforts, be able to determine a pest, it is recommended that you obtain an expert’s opinion. Next to regional forest managers there are also the professionals for wood or forest protection available in your state or a silvicultural research institute.
On the internet site of our KoNeKKTiW cooperation partner you can find lots of information on the theme of forest protection. In the following table we have listed the contact details for experts of the KoNeKKTiW project in each state.
| Baden-Württemberg | Örtliche Revierleiter (Auskunft über die Landratsämter)
Forstliche Versuchs- und Forschungsanstalt Baden-Württemberg (FVA) Link zur Abteilung Waldschutz der FVA ForstBW www.forstbw.de oder www.rp.baden-wuerttemberg.de
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| Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | Landesforst Mecklenburg-Vorpommern AöR Fritz-Reuter-Platz 9 17139 Malchin Link zum Sachgebiet Waldschutz der Landesforst M-V/Forstliches Versuchswesen
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| Nordrhein-Westfahlen | Landesbetrieb Wald und Holz NRW Waldschutzmanagement Steinmüllerallee 13 51643 Gummersbach Link zum Waldschutzmanagement in NRW |
| Rheinland-Pfalz | Zentralstelle der Forstverwaltung Rheinland-Pfalz Ref. 2.4 Waldschutz Le Quartier Hornbach 9 67433 Neustadt a. d. Weinstraße Beim Waldschutz arbeiten die Landesforsten Rheinland-Pfalz mit der Forstlichen Versuchs- und Forschungsanstalt Baden-Württemberg (FVA) zusammen. Informationen zu diesem Thema finden Sie daher auf den Internetseiten der FVA (www.fva-bw.de). |
| Sachsen | Staatsbetrieb Sachsenforst Obere Forst- und Jagdbehörde Bonnewitzer Str. 34 01796 Pirna OT Graupa http://www.smul.sachsen.de/sbs/ Link zur Oberen Forst- und Jagdbehörde Link zum Kompetenzzentrum Wald und Forstwirtschaft Referat Waldbau/Waldschutz |
| Schleswig-Holstein | Nordwestdeutsche Forstliche Versuchanstalt (NW-FVA) Grätzelstr. 2 37079 Göttingen Link zur Abteilung Waldschutz der Nordwestdeutschen Forstlichen Versuchsanstalt |
| Österreich | Bundesamt für Wald/Bundesforschungs- und Ausbildungszentrum für Wald, Naturgefahren und Landschaft (BFW) Seckendorff-Gudent-Weg 8 A-1131 Wien Link zum Institut für Waldschutz des BFW Landwirtschaftskammer Österreich Informationen zum Thema bei der Landwirtschaftskammer |
| Schweiz | Waldschutz Schweiz (PBMD) Fachstelle für Waldschutzfragen Zürcherstrasse 111 CH-8903 Birmensdorf www.waldschutz.ch |
| Hamburg | Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg Bezirksamt Harburg Zentraler Forstdienst Harburger Rathausplatz 6 21073 Hamburg |
| Niedersachsen | Nordwestdeutsche Forstliche Versuchanstalt (NW-FVA) Grätzelstr. 2 37079 Göttingen Link zur Abteilung Waldschutz der Nordwestdeutschen Forstlichen Versuchsanstalt |
| Saarland | SaarForst Landesbetrieb Von der Heydt 12 D-66115 Saarbrücken Beim Waldschutz arbeitet der Landesbetrieb SaarForst mit der Forstlichen Versuchs- und Forschungsanstalt Baden-Württemberg (FVA) zusammen. Informationen zu diesem Thema finden Sie daher auf den Internetseiten der FVA (www.fva-bw.de). |
| Thüringen | ThüringenForst Hallesche Straße 16 99085 Erfurt |
- The Julius- Kühn- Institute is the Federal Research Centre for cultivated plants. Over the collection of links of the institute you can reach the contact person of the plant protection service in your state: www.jki.bund.de
- In Austria there exists an official plant protection service: bfw.ac.at
- Contact persons at the regional level can also be found on the internet site of the Austrian Chamber of Agriculture: www.lko.at/pflanzenschutzdienst
Other Links
- Merkblätter für verschiedene Forstschädlinge der Landesforst Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
- Waldschutzmanagement des Landesbetriebes Wald und Holz NRW
- Alles über Borkenkäfer (BFW Österreich)
- Aktuelle Hinweise auf Forstschädlinge in Baden-Württemberg
- Faltblätter und Informationen für Waldbesitzer (Landesbetrieb Forst Brandenburg)
Articles about monitoring and diagnosis of forest pests can be found on waldwissen.net.
Forest Crises Management Advisory Guide
Back to the main page of the Forestry Crisis Management Advisor Guide: Overview of the different topic collections
Back to the article overview in the: The Insect Pest Topic Collection: Prevention – Identification – Action