Environment

Siberian Forests under Attack

Swarms of the Siberian silk moth, whose larvae eat away at conifer trees in the region’s forests, have grown rapidly amid the rising temperatures. The moths are usually inactive during winter and eat in spring, summer and autumn periods which are now lengthening.

“In all my long career as a specialist, I’ve never seen moths so huge and growing so quickly,” said Vladimir Soldatov, a moth expert, who warns of “tragic consequences” for forests. The larvae, which are taking over larger areas of forest, strip trees of their needles and make them more susceptible to forest fires.

The moth “has moved 150 kilometres north compared to its usual territory and that’s because of global warming,” Soldatov told AFP. In the Krasnoyarsk region of eastern Siberia, more than 120,000 trees have had to be treated to kill the larvae, according to the regional forest protection centre.

Another insect pest, the bark beetle that bores into tree trunks, has also recently colonised the region. It has flourished since 2003 as the climate became milder.

With snow melting earlier in the year in northern Siberia, exposed dry vegetation and soil means fires can spread easily, said Alexei Yaroshenko, who heads the forest section at Greenpeace Russia.

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