Strengthening the Resilience of Pine Forests to Bark Beetle Outbreaks and Associated Dieback - TCP/RER/3801
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Extensive forest coverage in Belarus and Ukraine provides a fundamental contribution to the wellbeing of rural populations and the national economies, with forestry and the wood processing industry accounting for 2.2 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) of Belarus and 1 percent of the GDP of Ukraine. Both countries have significant potential for expansion of the forestry sector, which is, however, limited by certain factors related to the global environmental processes, resulting in a highly increased proportion of dying forest stands and damage to trees by pests and diseases. Of particular concern in the area is the fact that native pine forests and older plantations are currently suffering from dieback, caused by outbreaks of bark beetles. These insects usually attack dead or dying trees and serve as primary decomposers. However, under stressful conditions, such as drought or high tree density, they can attack and destroy healthy trees in large numbers, overcoming tree defences and severely damaging entire forests. Due to the limited institutional capacities in forest health, the governments of the two countries requested technical assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in implementing an emergency action plan for combating dieback of pine forests and developing a long-term coordinated solution to reduce and control the periodic incidence of bark beetle infestations.