New Insects and Fungi are Posing a Threat to the Forest
Published: Tuesday, Jul 25th 2023, 14:40
Mise à jour le : Vendredi, 13 octobre 2023, 14:12
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In 2022, the Swiss forest faced a number of invasive insects and pathogens, including the Asian longhorn beetle, five new species of Ambrosia and bockhorn beetles in the Ticino, and the North American maple stem cancer. Heat and drought also reduced tree growth by 10 to 50 percent compared to the average of the last ten years, while the warmer climate encouraged the spread of southern pests. Native plants have few or no defense mechanisms against these introduced species and diseases, such as elm cancer, ash dieback, and boxwood caterpillar. Experts are often confronted with a mix of pathogens on weakened trees, and it is unclear how all these factors interact.
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