At the initiative of the National Forestry Agency [NFA], sanitary logging operations are currently underway within the state forest territories of Adigeni and the Borjomi Plateau in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region. The primary objective of these measures is to conserve forest ecosystems of high ecological value and to suppress the proliferation of the European spruce bark beetle.

The phytosanitary condition of these high-value ecosystems has deteriorated significantly in recent decades.

This decline is primarily driven by shifting climatic patterns, followed by the subsequent mass infestation of the pest insect, the European spruce bark beetle.

One of the most effective methods for controlling this pest is sanitary logging, which entails the timely felling and removal of infested trees from the forest. This intervention reduces pest breeding sites and contributes to maintaining the resilience of the forest ecosystem.

"The phytosanitary state of these highly valuable ecosystems has degenerated substantially over the past decades, a trend chiefly linked to mass pest infestations. A critical management method to combat this pest is sanitary cutting, which involves the prompt extraction of damaged timber from the area, thereby mitigating breeding vectors. The NFA systematically conducts sanitary logging in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, alongside clearing windthrown and wind-snapped trees resulting from natural disturbances", - said Besik Amiranashvili, Head of the NFA.

In conjunction with sanitary cutting, the NFA monitors the European spruce bark beetle population using pheromone traps. This enables researchers to assess population dynamics and design appropriate management strategies. During the current year, agency specialists have already conducted three phases of monitoring. To date, approximately 140,000 European spruce bark beetles have been captured and destroyed via these pheromone traps.

The NFA remains committed to continuing these sanitary measures in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region. Concurrently, efforts persist to clear forest areas of windthrown and broken trees, which is essential for forest ecosystem restoration and the prevention of new outbreaks.