In the mountains of the southern Peloponnese, Greek firs – usually among the country’s hardiest species – are turning brown and dying in vast patches. When forest researcher Dimitrios Avtzis surveyed an area after a spring fire, he found hundreds of hectares of dead and dying trees well outside the burn zone. The scale was so unusual that he immediately alerted the environment ministry.
Experts say prolonged drought is the main driver. Greece has seen steadily drier conditions and a sharp decline in winter snow, which normally provides slow-release moisture. Between 1991 and 2020, the country lost an average of 1.5 days of snow cover per year, weakening mountain ecosystems.
Drought-stressed trees are then attacked by bark beetles, which bore under the bark and disrupt water and nutrient flow. Once beetle populations reach outbreak levels, they are extremely difficult to control. Similar outbreaks are now being reported elsewhere in southern Europe, suggesting a wider ecological shift linked to climate breakdown.
While Mediterranean forests can regenerate after fires, recovery is slow and uncertain under today’s conditions, taking years rather than seasons. Scientists warn that without coordinated action and funding, fir die-offs could become more frequent. “We have the knowledge,” Avtzis says, “but what we’re seeing now will only intensify if we don’t act.”
