In the mountains of the southern Peloponnese, researchers have found vast areas of Greek fir turning brown and dying far from burn scars. Dimitrios Avtzis of the Forest Research Institute said the scale of damage was unlike anything he had seen before, with hundreds of hectares of dead and dying trees in supposedly intact forest.
The cause is not fire alone but a cascade of pressures intensified by climate breakdown. Prolonged drought and declining winter snowfall have weakened trees, drying soils and reducing groundwater. This has left firs vulnerable to bark beetles, which burrow under the bark and disrupt the flow of water and nutrients. Once beetle populations reach outbreak levels, they are extremely difficult to control.
Similar beetle-driven die-offs are being reported elsewhere in southern Europe, suggesting a wider ecological shift rather than a local anomaly. While Mediterranean forests can regenerate after fire, experts warn recovery is slow and uneven, and repeated stress makes forests less resilient.
Scientists say Greece has the expertise to respond but urgent funding and coordinated action are needed. Without intervention, they warn that climate-driven forest dieback is likely to become more frequent and severe.
