Investigations of mature Scots pine stands in wind-throw areas in Norway spruce forests in Western Rhodopes

Abstract We investigated the current health condition (defoliation), state of natural regeneration, and mycoflora and phytopathogen-caused attacks in Scots pine forests (Pinus sylvestris L.) planted in the 1960s in areas affected by wind disturbances in the West Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria. Some damage types (resin outflow and anthropogenic damage) were present to a low extent in the research plots (S – Selishte and PK – Pobit Kamak). Some were missing completely (damage by deer and other animals, the presence of lignicolous fungi and abiotic damage). The most important results of this study were the following: i) the occurrence of the bark beetle pest Tomicus minor Hartig (Coleoptera, Scolytinae) was recorded on average in 4.6 (S) and 2.3 (PK) of fallen shoots under the tree crown within 1 m diameter around the stem; ii) significant damage to tree crowns due to the loss of assimilation organs in Scots pine trees (28% – S and 39% – PK, respectively) was several times higher than that recorded in Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) (10%); iii) tree species composition resulting from natural regeneration showed 95–100% proportion of Norway spruce despite the predominance of Scots pine in the maternal stand. These observations might provide evidence of unsuitable environmental conditions in the studied localities for pine forests on the southern range of the natural P. sylvestris occurrence. Forest management in similar ecological and climatic conditions should aim at significant diversification of the forest stand structure by utilizing tree species suitable for the given ecosystems.