2016

Protecting of young trees against forest animals

To grow a beautiful and high-quality forest, it should be given proper care right from the moment when the first tree is planted, when the first plants from „LVM Sēklas un stādi” nurseries are transported to the forest. JSC "Latvia's State Forests" (LVM) Vecumnieki forest district manager tells us about what and how is done to protect the young forest stands from forest animals and insects.

When a small pine tree is planted in spring, in autumn we are already thinking about how to protect it from forest animals - roe deer, elks and deer. If a bud of a young tree is bitten off or its trunk is damaged, further growth of the tree is endangered, and it dies. Therefore tree tops and side branches are treated with plant protection products," says Monvīds Strautiņš, LVM Vecumnieki forest district manager.

Two types of grease are used for protection: one with an unpleasant odour thus deterring forest animals from eating pine and fir tree buds, and the other leaving an unpleasant taste in the mouth thus discouraging the animals from further feeding in the specified place as the treated buds are not so delicious any more.

Protection of saplings against animal damage is particularly important in the winter season, when the animals do not have as many nutrient options as in other seasons, and they cannot find any juicy shoots and leaves. And the needles give animals the necessary nutrients.

"Small pine buds are most popular with roe deer, but deer and elks tear off trunk bark," says LVM representative.

In areas where there are many forest animals around, such protection of saplings should be carried out already in the first year of planting, until the trees reach at least one and a half metres of height, and then it is important to protect the young forest tree trunks from elks and deer. For protection purposes, spiral tree wraps are used, which are wound on the tree trunk without covering the branch part thus blocking access to the trunk bark. Such "protective suit" does not allow deer and elks leave their teeth imprints on the tree trunk. "The small tree can now grow peacefully. As the tree is growing, the spiral is stretching, and once the tree has rough bark, which is no longer a treat for animals, the spiral decomposes in the sun and falls off," Strautiņš explains.

To fight a variety of beetles and other tree pests, LVM takes biological measures - places nest boxes in the forest stands exposed to risk, as well as relocates and protects anthills. In the LVM nurseries young plantlets are treated with wax to protect them from pine weevil.