Befallssituation

Befallssituation (infestation situation) is a term used especially in agriculture, forestry, and public health to describe the current state of infestation by pests or pathogens. It refers to the combination of how widespread the infestation is, how many units are affected, how severe the damage is, and how the situation is developing over time.

It comprises several dimensions: the geographic extent of the infestation, the incidence or prevalence among the live population or sample units, and the severity of damage or loss. The trajectory or dynamics describes whether the infestation is expanding, stable, or retreating, and often informs threshold-based management decisions.

Data for assessing a Befallssituation come from field scouting, trap monitoring, laboratory confirmation, and, increasingly, remote sensing and citizen reporting. Guidelines and thresholds vary by pest, crop, and region, and are used to trigger actions such as monitoring intensification, interventions, or protective measures.

Applications include risk assessment, early warning, and the evaluation of control measures. In forestry, Befallssituation can describe outbreaks of pests such as bark beetles; in agriculture, infestation levels guide pesticide use and the deployment of resistant cultivars; in public health, it may relate to vector populations. The term emphasizes present conditions rather than static susceptibility.

Limitations include sampling bias, temporal variability, and differences in measurement methods between regions.