Bark beetles in Slovenian forests

Last several years have been very unfavourable for forest protection. Dry years at the beginning of the 1990s were followed by infestations of bark beetles. In winters 1995/96 and 1996/97, Slovenian forests were affected by heavy snow and sleet. Broken and dam-aged conifer trees were especially problematic from the aspect of protection against bark beetles. The years of natural catastrophes were followed by years which were successively warmer. 2003 was exceptionally warm and dry, and coincided with abundant fructification of Norway spruce. As a result, bark beetle populations increased dramatically that year. This population explosion continued in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007, when a record amount of timber (up to 747 000 m3 in 2005) was felled, so the last few years could easily be called bark beetle years.