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Tirayr Muradyan

Kristine Aghalaryan

Armenia’s Dying Pines: 44 Hectares of Trees Already Lost; Cause Remains a Mystery

"Our pines are drying up, and no one knows why," says a Stepanavan forestry employee worker, pointing to half-dried and dried pine trees in the area of Stepanavan arboretum (Dendropark) located near the village of ​​Gyulagarak some 85 km north of Yerevan.

While there are many desiccated pines in Stepanavan forestry, it appears that the problem has spread to other provinces in Armenia.

Head of the Aragatzotn Forestry Unit, Vram Abrahamyan, is also concerned. He has also witnessed the problem in his backyard and says that the trees began to dry up from the top.

When asked what measures are being taken to stem the problem Abrahamyan replied: "We’ve decided to cut them down.”

Hetq asked Samvel Sahakyan, Acting Chairman of the Ministry of the Environment’s Forestry Committee, to provide information on the dried pines.

It turns out that the problem is greater in the two abovementioned forest units - Stepanavan and Aragatzotn - at 10 and 12 hectares respectively. 

Overall, 44 hectares of desiccated and drying pine trees have been recorded in Armenia, mainly in Lori, Aragatzotn and Tavush regions.

Looking at the Forestry Committee data, we note that the the drying is emanating from the north of Armenia, from Lori and Tavush Provinces and spreads south. At present, only the Sisian Forestry Unit has registered drying in the country’s southern provinces.

The pines of the Tchambarak Forestry Enterprise have completely dried up. 50-70% of other tree species have also been impacted.

Hetq asked the Forestry Committee whether its experts had determined the reasons for the pine drying, its extent, and what measures were being taken.  

Mr. Sahakyan replied stated that the Forestry Committee first heard about the problem when it received an alert from the Meghradzor Forestry Enterprise in the fall of 2018.

In order to find out the reasons for the pine drying, a working group was set up, with the participation of relevant specialists, who traveled to the area for research and sampling.

“For comparative data, there is a need to study healthy trees in the same area," Sahakyan says.

Sahakyan also says that samples of dried out trees from the Hrazdan, Yeghegnout, Artzvaberd, Noyemberyan, Tashir, Tchambarak, Aragatzotn and Lalvar Forestry branches were sent to the Phytosanitary Research Laboratory for analysis.

 « “In order to prevent the spread of diseases and pests (according to the results of the analysis), it is planned to remove the dry, dead trees and clear the stumps from the affected areas in order to prevent the spread of the problem. In the Noyemberyan, Tchambarak, Hrazdan, Aragatzotn Forestry areas, sanitary felling sections have been allocated,” writes Sahakyan.

While the Head of the Forestry Committee hints at disease and pests as the cause of the problem, no specifics are forthcoming.

In any case, a year has passed since the Forestry Committee was first informed on the problem. To date, the committee seems content to isolate the cause, which remains a mystery, by cutting down the dried trees.  

Top photo by Saro Baghdasaryan: Aragatzotn's dried pines

Comments (1)

H.D.
Անձրեւների պակաս կամ երաշտ այդ տարծքներում նկատվե՞լ է վերջին տարիներին: Մի քանի տարի առաջ, երկարատեւ, մի քանի տարի տեւած երաշտի ժամանակ սոճիների նման չորացում պատահեց Կալիֆորնիայում: Ջրի պակասի ժամանակ բզեզներ կան որ ծառի կեղեւը փորում, մտնում են կեղեւի տակ եւ սկսում բնի շուրջը փորել շրջանագծով, կտրելով արմատներից ճյուղեր սնուցումը: Սոճին բավականաչափ խեժ չի կարողանում արտադրել ջրի պակասի ժամանակ բզեզի դեմ պայքարելու, փորած անցքը փակելու համար: Անգլերեն "bark beetle" է կոչվում այդ բզեզը: Ծառը վերեւից է սկսում չորանալ այս բզեզով վարակվելու դեպքում: Բզեզը կեղեւի տակ մտնելուց հետո թունաքիմիկատ սրսկելը սովորաբար չի օգնում, հարկ է լինում վարակված ծառերը կտրել տարածումը կանխելու համար: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/forest-health/bark-beetle-information/signs-of-bark-beetle-infestation/ "Pines, Drought and Beetles": https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=18800?src=blog25851

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