Integrated protection in oak forest

Keywords

Oak decay factors in Mediterranean region, insect pests, pathogenous fungi, biological control, forest management

Convenor RUIU Pino Angelo
Liaison-Officer JERMINI Mauro

Structure

The working group was founded in 1993. It comprises actually 44 actives members. The activities are organised within 2 subgroups:

Aim

 The aim is to promote and co-ordinate research concerning the adverse factors involved in oak decay in the Mediterranean region as well as biological control in European and North African oak stands. The general goal is to facilitate contacts between European and North African scientists in order to encourage the application of collective strategies for oak forest exploitation, conservation and integrated protection.

Activities

The 2nd meeting took place in 1998 in Morocco, which is particularly concerned with the aggravation of oak forest decline. 6 European and 3 North African countries were represented. Many research programs are focused on cork-oak but the group persists to pay attention to all oak species because they endure several identical decay factors.

The main research activities concern:

  • decay factors (climatic, biotic, anthropic) and their impact on oak forests biodiversity and conservation
  • biology and impact of pathogenous fungi with particular emphasis on Diplodia mutila which induces a high oak mortality in Morocco, Portugal and Sardinia
  • oak regeneration and acorn conservation : sowing procedures and seedlings protection, modes and efficiency of cutting back practices
  • biology and impact of insect pests (defoliators, xylophagous insects, cockchafers)
  • insect natural enemies, biological and integrated control
  • modelling and forecasting of the pest population dynamics
  • forest management

In particular future common projects of the pathologists and entomologists concern:

  • the creation of a service for identification of the cork-oak pathogenous fungi
  • the creation of a survey grid of oak forest in Maghreb countries. This grid would be elaborated on the basis of the European survey to which it would be connected.
  • the elaboration an action plan concerning the strategies of planning, development and protection of the oak forests principally in the Mediterranean region

Achievements

The study plays an important role in making both the authorities and the public aware about the serious and widespread decline of cork-oak forests. It is necessary to ensure an effective and efficient integrated protection of this precious natural resource.
A directory list of 112 European and North African scientists and managers involved in oak forest protection was drawn up. It will be published on internet.

The research reports, conclusion and recommandations of the group are reported in:

8th WG Meeting, 23-27 October 2016, Córdoba, Spain.
8th meeting of the IOBC-WPRS Working Group "Integrated Protection in Oak Forests", Cordoba, Spain

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7th WG Meeting, 7-11 October 2013, Avignon, France.
7th meeting of the IOBC-WPRS Working Group "Integrated Protection in Oak Forests", Avignon, France.
(Click to enlarge the picture.)

6th WG Meeting, 04-10 October 2010, Tempio Pausania, Sardinia, Italy.
WG Meeting 2010, Sardinia, Italy
(Click to enlarge the picture.)

5th WG Meeting, 22-25 October 2007, Tlemcen, Algeria.
WG Meeting 2007, Tlemcen, Algeria
(Click to enlarge the picture.)

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