Drivers of primary bark beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) infestations in even-aged, uneven-aged, and unmanaged Norway spruce forests in central Sweden
Quantifying bark beetle infestation patterns in managed and unmanaged spruce forests suggests tree characteristics are key factors.
Key Points
This research aims to understand how different forest management systems affect the susceptibility of spruce forests to bark beetle infestations.
Analyzed infestation patterns across 29 spruce-dominated forest stands in central Sweden.
Used generalized linear models (GLMs) and generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) to evaluate predictors of infestation probability.
Investigated stand- and tree-level variables, including management type and tree characteristics.
For I. typographus and Polygraphus spp., stand-level variables did not significantly predict infestation probability.
P. chalcographus showed that infestation probability decreased with increasing spruce density.
At the tree level, I. typographus had higher infestation in even-aged stands, favoring larger, sun-exposed trees, while P. chalcographus preferred smaller trees.