J. For. Sci., 2026, 72(3):148-160 | DOI: 10.17221/96/2025-JFS

Degradation of Betula spp. under the influence of biotic factors in the forests of Ukrainian PolissiaOriginal Paper

Ivanna Kulbanska ORCID...¹, Maryna Shvets ORCID...², Svitlana Matkovska ORCID...², Tetiana Melnyk ORCID...³, Vasyl Zayachuk ORCID...⁴, Nataliya Horbenko ORCID...⁴, Oleh Zymaroiev ORCID...⁵, Anastasiia Zymaroieva^5,6

¹ National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine

² Polissia National University, Zhytomyr, Ukraine

³ Sumy National Agrarian University, Sumy, Ukraine

⁴ National University of Forestry and Wood Technology, Lviv, Ukraine

⁵ Bogdan Khmelnytskyi Melitopol State Pedagogical University, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine

⁶ Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark

The paper examines the impact of biotic factors – mainly pests and pathogens – on the degradation of Betula spp. in the forests of Ukrainian Polissia. The taxonomic structure of the identified mycobiota includes representatives of 9 genera, 8 families, 5 orders, 4 classes, and two divisions (Ascomycota 44.4%, Basidiomycota 55.6%). Xylotrophic Basidiomycetes, particularly Fomitopsis betulina and Fomes fomentarius, pose the greatest threat due to their ability to destroy wood tissues. The bacterial pathogen Lelliottia nimipressuralis, the agent of wetwood, also plays a major role, impairing xylem water transport and causing systemic physiological imbalance in affected trees. Entomofauna significantly contributes to degradation processes. A total of 31 insect species were recorded, belonging to five orders, 24 families, and 29 genera, with Coleoptera being the most numerous (32.3%). The most harmful are xylophagous species (e.g. Agrilus betuleti, Rhagium mordax) and phytophagous species (e.g. Geometra papilionaria, Parornix betulae), which cause mechanical tissue damage and facilitate secondary infections. The results indicate that pathogenic complexes intensify under environmental stress, accelerating the decline of Betula spp. stands. These findings underscore the necessity for ongoing phytosanitary monitoring and adaptive management measures to mitigate further degradation risks in the birch forests of Polissia.

Keywords: harmfulness; pathogen; pests; symptoms; wood-destroying fungi

Received: December 11, 2025; Revised: March 9, 2026; Accepted: March 11, 2026; Prepublished online: March 27, 2026; Published: March 31, 2026  Show citation