Up-to-date forest health research

Maintaining healthy and stable forests, and protecting them against abiotic and biotic risk factors are the main objectives of our research. Apart from considering current national and international forest health situations and developments we also take into account potential future pest organisms in our laboratory and field studies. Integrated pest management strategies are of major importance in our research.

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Current research projects

Asiatischer Laubholzbockkäfer (Anoplophora glabripennis)

DETMON (2020-2023)

The early detection of invasive forest pests is the first step to protect forest ecosystems against species such as the Asian longhorned beetle, the citrus longhorned beetle, the emerald ash borer, the pine wood nematode and the Siberian silk moth. The project aims at developing the basics for identifying the target species via semiochemicals, technical detection methods via ion-mobility spectrometry, and innovative detection and monitoring methods.

EIVES (2020-2022/23)

With regard to the regulation of the spruce bark beetle, parasitoids hold a special position due to their strong host specialization. Especially species from the Hymenoptera order cause promising parasitization rates. The EIVES project aims to enable a high potential of these antagonists in the field at the first appearance of the spruce bark beetle. The project focusses on the identification of target species in the Tharandt Forest region, the development and establishment of an artificial rearing and the derivation of thresholds for the regulatory potential of these antagonists.

ForstVIEW (2023-2025)

Wie können potenziell schädliche Insekten im Wald erkannt werden, bevor sie sich massenhaft vermehren? Diese Aufgabe wird im Projekt mit einer innovativen Lösung angegangen. Ziel des Vorhabens ist die Entwicklung und Erprobung eines modernen und effektiven Sensorikverfahrens für die Früherkennung von Nonne, Eichenprozessionsspinner und Buchdrucker im Wald. Selbst geringe Spuren typischer Geruchsmuster in den verschiedenen Entwicklungsstadien von diesen Insekten sollen mit Hilfe der Ionenmobilitätsspektrometrie erfasst und durch Verfahren der Künstlichen Intelligenz zugeordnet werden.

HarzWB (2020-2022)

HarzWB studies the forest fire risk for low mountain ranges using the example of the Harz national park. The aim is to develop a forest fire protection concept that accounts for the special conditions of the forest national park.

IPSolut (2021-2024)

Within the project the basics and principles for the development of a mass breeding and release producre of parasitoid hymenopterans for the biological control of the eight toothed spruce bark beetle are to be established. Research will include the identification of which parasitoid hymenopteran species has the greatest potential to control the bark beetle and the most favorable preconditions for mass breeding.

KINoPro (2021-2024)

Are models using Artificial Intelligence (AI) able to predict the mass outbreak development of potential pest insects on Scots pine? To answer this question the nun moth will be used as an example to build different models in the form of Artificial Neural Networks, train them using meteorological data as well as real trapping numbers, and verify and optimize them by means of the standard monitoring results in Brandenburg and Saxony. The objective is to significantly reduce the resources needed to predict the population development of nun moth by employing AI.

KuSaMWET (2020-2023)

The large number of forest regeneration areas that resulted from the large-scale forest damaging events in recent years, as well as their distribution and size, offer ideal colonization conditions for Arvicolinae, which pose a severe threat to the establishment of forest regeneration, in particular to broadleaved tree species. Within the project, a complete characterisation of the environmental requirements of field vole and common vole takes place to develop strategies for successful forest regeneration and allow for more specific and systematic control methods in accordance with the principles of integrated pest management.

ReBek (2020-2022)

The ReBek project comprises two sub projects, of which one aims at developing alternative eradication methods in the form of novel weevil and bark beetle traps that use little to no pesticides as well as mass trapping lures, while the other focusses on developing close-to-nature, pesticide-free regulation methods for bark beetles.

THOR (2020-2025)

There is an increasing occurrence of forest fires due to the drought events of recent years. In particular ammunition polluted sites and the lack of thinning hamper the extinction of fires and lead to significant damage. The THOR joint project studies forest fire prevention from a forestry, educational and technical point of view. Expert knowledge and experience of recent years are compiled in teaching materials. Moreover, theory is put into practice in study regions in five federal states.

WiWaldI (2022-2027)

Deer can significantly affect the natural composition of plant communities and thus of insect habitats. Study sites on typical sites of various forest communities where these effects are present are going to be recorded in order to identify their influences on food webs. Ideally the results will allow for conclusions on the positive effects of existing and potentially existing insect species and on the impacts of insects on forest ecosystems.

Fields of research

importance and utilization of natural antagonists of potential forest insect pests
effects of forest conversion on organisms relevant to forest health
studies on potential biotic and abiotic risk factors in short rotation coppices (SRC) and development of monitoring, prognosis and management strategies
importance and biological regulation of mice species (Arvicolidae) causing damage in forests
studies on new hunting strategies for deer aiming at deer population in accordance with current findings in wildlife ecology research