Effects of stand composition and site index of pine forests on bark beetle, ips sexdentatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) population

Abstract

Various biotic and abiotic factors influence the population dynamics and severity of damage in a forest. This study investigated the effects of stand composition and site index of pine forests on Ips sexdentatus (Boerner) populations. Two main objectives of this study were a) to compare the effects of two different black pine stands of site index-I (high site productivity) and site index-III (low site productivity) and b) to compare the pure and mixed pine forests concerning the abundance and body length of I. sexdentatus. The results showed that 1) density of I. sexdentatus were greater in pure forests than mixed ones, 2) density of I. sexdentatus were grater in stands with site index-III than those with site index-I, and 3) the body length of the pest did not differ significantly between two site productivity classes and between two stand compositions.