The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has published a guidebook to help countries stop forest-damaging pests from spreading into new areas.
Along with including information about reducing the risk of spreading pests, the guide includes suggestions for pest management at every step in the commodities chain, which is becoming more far-reaching due to globalization of the wood-products supply chain. The 101-page "Guide to Implementation of Phytosanitary Standards in Forestry" contains "good practices for forest health protection" for nurseries, planted forests, naturally regenerated forests, sawmills and post-harvest operations, among others. It can be read below:
"Due to climate change, previously inhospitable sites can become suitable for 'alien' pests that are accidentally transported through international trade in wood products, seeds or nursery plants, as well as trade in other commodities packaged with wood materials," said Eduardo Rojas-Briales, FAO's assistant director-general for forestry.
"Increases in summer temperature generally accelerate the reproductive capacity of insects, while warmer winter temperatures improve their chances of surviving winters," according to an FAO release. Specifically, the U.N. points to the example of the mountain pine beetle of western Canada, where successive mild winters have boosted the beetle's survival rate. What's more, the region's drought conditions are weakening pine stands, increasing their susceptibility to beetle infestations.
