The year 2024 has presented extreme challenges for Austria's forests, marked by record storm damage, a significant reduction in bark beetle infestations, and high forest management costs. The Austrian Federal Forests (ÖBf) reported 1.5 million cubic meters of damaged timber, accounting for 75 percent of total timber harvest, resulting in record costs of 49 million euros.
The year began with the aftermath of two severe storms from autumn 2023, followed by numerous smaller and medium windfalls throughout the year, culminating in the largest storm damage recorded in the last 15 years. Regions such as Salzburg, Upper Styria, Tyrol, and Lower Austria were particularly affected.
Andreas Gruber, ÖBf's board member for forestry and conservation, emphasized, "The aftermath of windfalls is a race against time. The quicker damaged wood is removed from the forest, the less breeding ground there is for the bark beetle." Approximately 70 percent of the damage in 2024 was attributed to storms, while snow breakage accounted for about nine percent.
Despite unusually warm months that favored bark beetle reproduction, ÖBf managed to reduce beetle damage by more than 60 percent through intensive prevention measures, including debarking windfall logs, monitoring, and the use of trap trees. The volume of beetle-infested wood fell to around 270,000 cubic meters, representing 18 percent of the damaged wood.
With sustainability as a guiding principle and active forest management, the Federal Forests face a monumental task as Austria's largest nature space manager.