Drought and Suboptimal Habitats Shape Norway Spruce Vulnerability to Bark Beetle Outbreaks in Białowieża Forest, Poland

Wojciech Kędziora (), Katarzyna Szyc, Joaquim S. Silva and Roman Wójcik
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Wojciech Kędziora: Institute of Forest Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, ul. Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warszawa, Poland
Katarzyna Szyc: Institute of Forest Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, ul. Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warszawa, Poland
Joaquim S. Silva: School of Agriculture, Polytechnic University of Coimbra, Bencanta, 3045-601 Coimbra, Portugal
Roman Wójcik: Institute of Forest Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, ul. Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warszawa, Poland

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 10, 1-13

Abstract: Norway spruce ( Picea abies (L.) Karst.) is experiencing large-scale decline across Central Europe, with climate warming and bark beetle ( Ips typographus L.) outbreaks as primary drivers. In lowland Białowieża Forest, Poland, spruce occupies a range of habitats that differ in their suitability for long-term persistence. We hypothesized that climate change accelerates spruce decline by reducing resilience in suboptimal habitats and increasing susceptibility to bark beetle outbreaks, with long-term persistence limited to optimal hydrological sites. To address this, we analysed spruce share from 1902–2018, its distribution across suitable versus unsuitable habitats, and long-term climate records in relation to outbreaks. Historical maps, forest site classifications, and meteorological data were used to calculate hydro-climatic indices (HTC, SPEI-12, Selyaninov), and outbreak relationships were tested using Welch’s t -test and point-biserial correlation, including lag effects. Spruce share increased from 12% in 1902 to 27% in 2015 and then declined to 9% by 2018. In 2015, 75% of spruce-dominated stands occurred in unsuitable habitats. Bark beetle outbreaks were significantly associated with drought, with outbreak years showing lower precipitation (–121 mm), reduced Selyaninov k (mean 1.40 vs. 1.61), and more negative SPEI-12 values (–0.48 vs. 0.07) compared to non-outbreak years ( p < 0.05). One-year lag analysis indicated drought as both a predisposing and triggering factor. These findings highlight the interaction of habitat suitability and drought as a key driver of spruce decline, supporting adaptive management strategies that retain spruce in optimal habitats while converting suboptimal stands to more drought-tolerant species.

Keywords: Picea abies; bark beetle; Ips typographus; habitat suitability; drought; SPEI; forest decline; climate change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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