# Current Problems of Forest Protection (25-27 October 2022, Katowice Poland)
## 1 Introduction
The field part of the conference was organized so that the participants could get acquainted with the current problems of forest protection in Katowice Forest District (mining damage in Ochojec Forestry, poisoning site in Hamerla Forest Settlement, \"Las Murkowski\" reserve). As part of the promotion of the region, the conference participants visited the Silesian Museum in Katowice. History of Insects Occurrence in Gdansk and Torun, and Current Problems of Forest Protection  
Piotr GawedaGeneral Directorate of the State Forests, Forest Protection Team in Gdansk, Poland  
* Correspondence: piotr.gaweda@lasy.gov.pl  
* **Abstract:** The history of insect occurrence was separately prepared for the Regional Directorates of State Forests in Gdansk and Torun. It contains information on the main insects subject to pest control since the late 1940s. Thirty-six insect species are described in it. The highly detailed data are based on documents accessible to the Forest Protection Team in Gdansk. The uniform tables list the most important pests, such as the nun moth (_Lymantria monacha_) or the pine moth (_Panolis flamnea_), and other important insects. You can see the list of forest districts, the area of pest control, the dose of chemical or biological preparations used, the effectiveness of the measures and the number of different insect stages. A lot of useful information is added below the tables. The material is supplemented by maps showing only the locations of primary pest control. Three tables of contents make the study easily searchable. All outbreaks were evaluated. This made it possible to divide forests into problem and non-problem areas. The next step was a limited number of points to monitor insects under trees in the fall. In addition, information on the timing of pest control helps in planning future pest control. Existing methods for predicting the occurrence of insects, such as the pine sawfly (_Diprion pini_), are not perfect. Therefore, this study proves to be particularly useful as it accurately indicates which areas to control in the event of a threat based on documented history. **Keywords:** outbreak; forest; occurrence; control; defoliating insects  
**Effects of Drought on the Interaction between Woody Plants and Fungi**  
Dorota Hilszczanska and Hanna Szmidla  
Forest Research Institute, Sekocin Stary, Poland  
* Correspondence: d.hilszczanska@ibles.waw.pl  
* **Abstract:** Maintaining healthy forests under conditions of global climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing foresters. Although precipitation intensity and frequency increased in the Northern Hemisphere during the second half of the 20 th Century, many areas were also affected by drought. Drought in forests is not only a prolonged water shortage, but also a situation in which plant-fungal relationships are disrupted. Limited water availability leads to a series of unfavorable changes in the soil and in the mycobiota inhabiting it, thus affecting entire ecosystems. Conclusions from studies conducted to date are clear, emphasizing the negative effects of reduced soil moisture on the function of ectomycorrhizal fungi and the positive effects on stimulating and promoting the development of some fungal endophytes and pathogens, as well as some semiparasitic plant species (e.g., the genus _Viscum_). We highlight here the role of mycorrhizal and endophytic fungi in mitigating the effects of soil water deficiency and the impact of their altered activity during periods of drought on tree health. The presented topics show the fundamental role of mycorrhizal mycelium in supporting water transport to the plant, and the course of processes occurring in trees (dieback, development of infectious diseases, biology of endophytes), under the influence of drought, were presented. On the basis of the extensive literature, the following conclusions and recommendations for practice were formulated.