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Anna Maria Jönsson

Professor

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Tree recovery during the aftermath of an outbreak episode of the Hungarian spruce scale in southern Sweden

Author

  • Inis Winde
  • Olle Anderbrant
  • Anna Maria Jönsson

Summary, in English

In 2010, the first, and so far only, infestation of the Hungarian spruce scale (Physokermes inopinatus) and accompanying sooty mould occurred in Scania, southernmost Sweden. About 1000 ha of Norway spruce (Picea abies) were affected, and the trees suffered from the sucking of the insects as well as from the dense sooty mould that covered the needles. Salvage cuttings were carried out in many of the massively attacked forest stands, both in response to the fear that the trees otherwise would die, e.g. from secondary bark beetle attacks and to prevent spreading of the infestation. The aim of this study was to provide basic, quantitative knowledge on the aftermath response of trees that were heavily infested, but not exposed to salvage cutting. Growth characteristics, in terms of needle weight, shoot length and tree-ring size were measured on infested and uninfested trees to compare and contrast the spruce growth before, during and after the scale outbreak. The infestation resulted in dwarf annual shoots, stunted needles and thin tree rings. The needle weight returned to normal the following year, whereas shoot length and tree rings required one growing season before full recovery.

Department/s

  • Functional zoology
  • Dept of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science
  • Pheromone Group
  • BECC: Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate

Publishing year

2018-05-19

Language

English

Pages

313-319

Publication/Series

Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research

Volume

33

Issue

4

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Topic

  • Forest Science

Keywords

  • needle weight
  • Physokermes inopinatus
  • Picea abies
  • shoot length
  • tree ring

Status

Published

Project

  • New forest pests in a changing climate

Research group

  • Pheromone Group

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0282-7581