Belovezhskaya pushcha - XXI century | ANXIOUS DREAM ÎF BELOVEZHA

ANXIOUS DREAM OF BELOVEZHA

The article by Serguey Protas, Published in "Zviazda" (Star) Newspaper, #255,
December 19, 2001

Old relic of Belarus — Belovezhskaya Pushcha has got into troubles. Now the trouble is ecologically «clear». In result of some natural processes the mass reproduction of the bark beetle has begun. The name of this little beetle is not aggressive at all — typographer (Ips typographus L.). In spite of its inoffensive name this little beetle (4 — 5 mm long) managed to defeat 50 thousand m3 of wood on the territory of 600 ha this summer! 20 thousand meters cubic of wood «worked out» by the typographer are expected to be found to the end of the year.

The specialists say there is nothing strange in this fact: the appearance of bark beetle in the forest is absolutely normal. These beetles like any other insects are the necessary component of the forest ecosystem. The bark beetle reprocesses the natural part of the forest off which is dying at the moment, eliminates week and underdeveloped trees. Its specialization is the spruce forests. It is a hospital attendant, isn't it? However. one peculiarity makes this beetle extremely dangerous: one time in 20 — 30 years the population of the beetle increases so much that it can cause the real ecological disaster.

Information of «Zviazda» Newspaper:

At the beginning of the year 1880 there was a hurricane in the Pushcha. Fallen trees have not been removed in time. This resulted in outburst of the mass reproduction of the bark beetle in 1882–1883. The damages were so high that it was necessary to make clear cuttings on the surface of 1550 ha.

After German occupation during the World War First the Pushcha was much devastated there were a lot of dead wood. Sites of post-fire were present all around. The years 1919–1921 were very droughty. All this caused an outburst of the development of the bark beetle population again.

In 1963 — 1967, Belovezha has seen the next infection. In 1965 — 1967, the bark beetle centers have extended over the territory of about three thousand hectares. The main cause of such situation was the drought and the «glorified» well known drainage of lands.

Mass reproduction of the bark beetle occurred in 1994 — 1997. During four years on the territory of more than 10 thousand hectares trees were lost.

Pest — Polygamist

Scientists point out that last years there were broken a system of the fire cleaning of cutting plots in Belovezhskaya Pushcha because of recommendations of the scientific department. Wood-felling rests, which are not removed to the right time, become a perfect forage base for some species of bark beetles.

Extremely dry spring of the last year was the main reason for mass reproduction of bark beetles. This spring and summer had also many hot and dry days. The spruce, as it is known, is very sensitive species to the decreasing the soil moisture. The result is the decreasing of tree resistance against the pest.

Some scientists connect the outburst of bark beetles to the cycle of the sun activity. By the way, the forecast for the next year 2002 confirms it to some extent.

Director of the State Committee of forest protection and monitoring «Bellesokhrana» within the Committee of Forestry of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus Yakov Marchenko informed that this year Russia and some European countries faced the problem of the mass reproduction of bark beetles as well. As to the Belarus the next example can be pronounced: in the Brest Region the amount of bark beetles ready to wintering exceeds indexes of the last year. According to the data of the scientific department of the Nature Protection Organization «Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park», the amount of the new generation of bark beetles is 11.6 individuals to 1 square decimeter, that is close to the maximal index (12 specimens on 1 square decimeter). The problem is that the typographer is the polygamy species. 2–3 females fly to the conjugal chamber which is built by the male. In this year the researchers reveal 5 –6 females per chamber. That confirms a big vital capacity of the population.

To cut or not to cut?

The world wide praxis confirms: the process of mass reproduction of bark beetles cannot be stopped. One can speak only of minimization of consequences.

When you simply look at the tree it is hard to say if it is populated by bark beetles. Needles remain to be green for the long time. Only while looking very attentively you can see the entrance holes and boring flour. Such tree will day in some weeks.

This well known axiom proved by praxis became corner stone for some scientists. They say, may be, the cutting is not necessary? You see the top of tree is green, perhaps the tree will survive? This opinion shared and diffused by some mass media cost too much for Belovezhskaya Pushcha in direct and metaphorical meaning. The Property Management Department of the President of Belarus and the General Director of the «National Park Belovezhskaya Pushcha» Nikolai Bambiza could hear very hard words: it is supposedly the organization of the commercial timber processing in the reserved area or commerce of the national property. …

— Nikolai Bambiza says that the State Protection Organization «Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park» consists now of 11 forestry's and its surface is 96 thousand hectares, 18 percents of the Pushcha's surface (17 thousand hectares) is strictly protected zone. That is a scientific area. The nature is the queen there, one has no permission to interfere in natural processes if this site. We can only observe and state. That is why the reserved territory is not the most beautiful part of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha forest. There are a lot of fallen trees, dead-wood (included because of the activity of bark beetles), a lot of free spaces (glades) that are overgrown with grass and covered by turf.

To my mind, to achieve such environment for the whole Pushcha, it is a real crime. That is why in other zones of the Pushcha it is allowed to take measures of forest hygienic including sanitary felling…

Regarding to the timber processing shop, it really exists in the park, but not on the territory of Pushcha. This information was given by Alexander Luchkov, the head of the Department of protected natural territories and nature use at the Property Management Department of the President of Belarus. Moreover, the timber processing unit has already existed for many decades. However, the total amount of the timber processing did not increase in this year in spite of the attack of bark beetles. Normally it makes about 50 thousand cubic meters per year, 70 percents at that is windbreak. At the same time, the natural wood volume dying in the Pushcha makes more than 200 thousand cubic meters per one year.

… During the trip over the Pushcha, several sites infected by the bark beetle were seen. This is a sorrowful view. Though, certainly, the main is not a view, but a danger. By the way, such state of affairs has simply caused a shock at Doctor Adolf Korchika, the science officer of the Department of Natural Forests of the Institute of Forest (Poland).

Such trees (populated by bark beetles) have to be removed already in spring, one must not wait so long …says Mr. Korchik.

This reaction is not surprised because in Poland the forester who did not notice the tree with green needles but leaved by the bark beetles is to be discharged. In our scientific discussions the emotional «care» sometimes wins in spite of the common sense. It was near a disaster when after the interruption of the cutting of the spruce trees newly infected by bark beetles, the first young generation of bark beetles flied out the infected trees and began to occupy other trees. There were only «flowers», but the «berries» are expected this summer, by bad weather it will be happened to worse in one year as well.

What must be done?

That is an eternal question like the Belovezhskaya Pushcha itself. The first most important measure is quite clear. This is the cutting of trees populated by bark beetles. But this is only one measure of anti-bark beetles campaign. The second action is the placing of pheromone traps. This is a tool of the transparent plastic. Beetles fly to the odor of the chemical substance, impact the partition and get to the reservoir which must be cleaned from time to time. Usually there must be 5 traps placed on the surface of 1 hectare of the forest. It was a very expensive method of the struggle with the bark beetle some time ago as the chemical substance was purchased abroad. Now there is an in-home agent worked out by Belarussian producers that was successfully tested already. But the only pheromone traps can not save. The third measure is the placement of trap-trees. Bark beetles finishing the wintering populate firstly just such tress. After that it is sufficiently these trap-trees are to remove these trees out the forest and worked out.

***

Finally it would be desirable to remind some international prestigious titles our Belarussian Belovezhskaya Pushcha.

In 1992, UNESCO included the part of Belovezhskaya Pushcha into the list of the World Heritage of Mankind, and one year later granted the status of the Biosphere Reserve. In 1997, the State Protection Organization «The National Park »Belovezhskaya Pushcha« was rewarded with European Diploma … Is it possible to imagine Belarus without Belovezha?