Control in forest protection

Control in forest protection is divided into

• natural control of potential risk factors by interactions within the ecosystem so that the objectives of the forest owner and the society are not at risk and
• artificial control aiming at the eradication of the actual risk factor in order to maintain the objectives of the forest owner and the society within the affected forest area.

Defense and eradication measures in forest protection include physical-mechanical measures (e. g. trap installation and hunting), biological measures (e. g. application of parasites, predators and pathogens) and biological-chemical measures (e. g. application of plant protection products to protect plants or biocides to protect the health of humans, animals, the landscape and other objects in forests that deserve protection).

The following criteria are assessed during the decision-making process for or against defensive forest protection measures:

• The occurring or expected risk factors threaten the existence of the affected forests or lead to aftereffects that threaten their existence. Other objectives of forest owners or society are threatened, such as the production of raw materials, timber quality, Christmas trees, seeds, natural monuments as well as aspects of human medicine, nature conservation, erosion protection, monument protection etc.
  --> assessment of the threat to existing objectives
• Legislation allows for the implementation of plant protection measure or a special permission can be obtained.
  --> assessment of legislation
• There is no other methodical or economic way to defend the risk or they are not promising.
  --> assessment of the lack of alternatives
• The expected damage exceeds the costs for countermeasures (but exceptions at other objectives have to be taken account!).
  --> economic assessment
• The required countermeasures are in accordance with other forestal aspects, in particular the various protection and recreation functions of the forest.
  --> assessment of objects deserving protection
• The expected side effects of the countermeasures are less significant for the forest ecosystem as the effects of the expected damage or the effects of an omission of countermeasures.
  --> assessment of side effects