site.btaExperts, Institutions Warn about Dying Forests in Rhodope Mountains

Experts, Institutions Warn about Dying Forests in Rhodope Mountains

Sofia, July 21 (BTA) - The forests in Bulgaria's Rhodope Mountains are dying, warn institutions and scientists. Urgent measures are being taken to address the problem, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry said Friday.

"Together with leading forestry scientists, NGOs, the central and local authorities, we must inform he media and the public that the Rhodope's forests are dying. A large part of this country's territory has been infested by bark beetles and fungal pests, which calls for emergency measures," Deputy Agriculture Minister Atanas Dobrev said during an inspection of state forests in the Rhodopes. Forestry scientists and regional governors from the most affected regions of Kurdzhali and Smolyan also took part in the inspection.

The inspection has established that the main cause behind the dying forests are the numerous dead trees conducive to dark beetle infestations, which were killed by various abiotic factors, such as wind, snow and ice. The terrain's inaccessibility and subsequent inability to remove the dead tree matter contributes to the problem.

The area of affected forests is difficult to calculate, but is roughly 30,000 ha.

The problem has been growing in recent years. Increasing areas of coniferous forests have become affected recently. Their area has increased from 6,600 ha in 2015 to 18,000 ha. As much forest area was affected by July of 2017 as during the whole of 2016.