INSECTS IN BURNED FORESTS - FOREST PROTECTION AND FAUNAL CONSERVATION(PRELIMINARY-RESULTS)

The beetle colonization of fire-damaged trees was studied in seven res erves, which were established in burned forests in south and central S weden, following extensive forest fires in the summer of 1992. In the spring of 1993, burned pine trees displayed a large range in fire dama ge from virtually undamaged ones to trees killed by the fire. Spruces were more sensitive than pine, and few fire-damaged spruces had some g reen foliage left. The pine shoot beetle, Tomicus piniperda (Linnaeus) was the main colonizer of pine trees, occurring at all sites, but alt ogether in only one-third of the trees. On spruce, two bark beetles we re common: Polygraphus poligraphus (Linnaeus) was found on nearly all sites and altogether on half of the trees, followed in abundance by Pi tyogenes chalcographus (Linnaeus). These common species were accompani ed by an assembly of bark and longhorn beetles, commonly occurring on fresh conifer timber. Most of the beetle species clearly preferred the dead or dying trees. However, the species mentioned above as well as Arhopalus rusticus (Linnaeus) also attacked trees with more than half of the foliage left. Three fire-favoured species were observed: Oxypte ris (Melanophila) acuminata (Degeer), Sericoda (Agonum) quadripunctata (Degeer) and Pterostichus quadrifoveolatus (Letzner). Line surveys in dicated little bark beetle dispersal from the burned areas into surrou nding forests. Further studies are needed as the primary colonization of the burned trees was obviously not completed during this first year after the fire.