Poland has suffered water shortages stemming from a lack of rain and high temperatures for five years, the Rzeczpospolita daily said.
According to the paper, such a devastating drought has not had a precedent in recent decades.
Krzysztof Rostek, the head of the Department of Forest Breeding in the General Directorate of State Forests, said: "Spruce has a shallow root system and is extremely sensitive to moisture deficiency.”
Rostek added: “It is impossible to artificially irrigate millions of hectares of forest."
The spruce die-off is no longer limited to the warmest region of Lower Silesia, but is also taking place across southern, western and eastern regions of Poland, Rzeczpospolita reported.
The droughts are also taking their toll on pine trees, even though these are adapted to poor soils and are slightly more resistant to drought than spruce.
The dying out of these trees can be also seen in other European countries: throughout Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
(aba/pk)
Source: Rzeczpospolita