REDUCING RISK OF INVASIVE FOREST PESTS&DISEASES

FORESTS Forêt2019 – Joint Session of the ECE Committee on Forests and the Forest Industry and the FAO European Forestry Commission 4-7 November 2019, Geneva, Switzerland PROTECTION OF FOREST

Forest Protection is essential while managing forests in Turkey.

CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY Protection and development of forests ARTICLE 169- The State shall enact the necessary legislation and take the measures required for the protection and extension of forests. …….. All forests shall be under the care and supervision of the State. The ownership of state forests shall not be transferred. State forests shall be managed and exploited by the State in accordance with the law

Threats to biodiversity: Sensitive to land ▪ land use changes, soil distortion, ▪ exploitation of drought&natural resources, disasters: ▪ invasion by alien ▪ geo coordinats, species, ▪ climate, ▪ climate change. ▪ topography, ▪ geology&soil conditions 2 MONITORING & ASSESSMENT FOREST ECOSYSTEMS HEALTH AND VITALITY

▪ Taking part in the ICP Forests monitoring network in 2006, implemented based on the observation plots ▪ Totally 21,456 trees in 612 level 1 and 52 level 2 observation plots. ▪ 29 species, fungi, viruses and some abiotic agents. Forest are monitored and assessed.

3 MONITORING & ASSESSMENT FOREST ECOSYSTEMS HEALTH AND VITALITY

Graph : Mean percentage of the most frequent biotic and abiotic agents observed in Level I plots over the years 2007 to 2018 4 COMBATTING FOREST PESTS & DISEASES

▪ Pests & diseases damage ~ 0.5 million ha forest to carry out pest control as an average annually ▪ ~ 50 Insect and fungi species causing diseases ▪ Unplanned harvest average 350 000 M3 of ~780 000 € total cost

the red forest ant colony

Nature compatible bird nests Predator ,Thanasimus formicarius, generated in lab. 5 MAJOR FOREST INVASIVE PESTS & DISEASES

▪ Clostera anastomosis ▪ Corythucha arcuata (European Lepidoptera) (Oak Lace Bug) ▪ Leptoglossus occidentalis ▪ Ips typographus (Eight- (Western conifer seed toothed Bark ) bug) ▪ Pristiphora abietina (Lesser ▪ Phytophthora type sawfly) diseases ▪ Anoplophora chinensis ▪ Cylindrocladium (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) buxicola (Buxus blight) ▪ Dryocosmus kuriphilus ▪ (Ricania sp.) Butterfly Yasumatsu (Oriental chestnut gall wasp) 6 BIOLOGICAL CONTROL

▪ Natural enemies of the Ant transfer Bird nest pests, biologically interfering with their ability to breed

▪ In 2018, 5.2 thousand bird nests, 107- box ant transfer, 6.5 thousand predatory and parasitoids produced in 45 laboratories and released to forest areas Calosoma sypropanta Releasing biotic Application ▪ Virus isolation and –production organisms inoculation techniques of and its specific predator, . tree species grandis 7 WORKS ON COMBATING CHESNUT BLIGHT

HYPOVIRULENT straıns produced in the laboratories established in Bolu and Artvin against CHESTNUT BLIGHT occurred in forests

( Support to the Turkish Government in development and implementation of a Feasibility Study (FS) for management of chestnut blight in chestnuts and other hardwoods TCP/TUR/3201 2008-2009 ) 8 Asian chestnut gall wasp (Dryocosmus kuriphilis Yasumatsu )

▪ 7.250 Gall wasp matures brought from Italy released into forests against the pest occurred first in Yalova, 2014. ▪ The useful Insect parasitoids (Torymus sinensis) produced in Yalova Lab in 2016 and the produced 4250 matures released into the forests. 9 PUBLICATIONS & DELIVERABLE

Scientific editions, brochures, poster etc for national and international training programs and reference sources for rapid response

Placing those in the gathering spots and mass transportations

10 Upcoming forest health events in TURKEY

▪ Invasive species on nut trees and their management workshop and REUFIS network meeting 18-20 November 2019, Bursa TURKEY

▪ FAO-EU Workshop and study tour for forest health practitioners and scientists from the Caucasus region to Turkey 25-29 November 2019 Ankara, Bolu, Bursa TURKEY

11 THE WAY FORWARD

▪ Regıonal coloboration to react to biotic and abiotic agents properly and sustainable manner, ▪ Improve the quarantine measures on the high risk pathways forest plants, ▪ Support the international cooperation and introduce the technology in integrated forest pests&diseases management.

12 Thank you!

FORESTS Umit TURHAN Deputy Head of Department General Directorate of Forestry 7 November 2019, Geneva