EXCURSION
Our excursion is heading to the area of Czech-Moravian highland which was seriously damaged by bark beetle outbreak in 2018-2021. The first stop will be at location Želivka, at the plot of ICP Forests Intensive monitoring which was partly clear-cuted. The plot is located within a small research catchment of Pekelský potok (Devil´s creek) which is monitored for water balance and chemistry since 1970´s. We can discuss the effect of calamity on hydrological processes as well as on the research infrastructure.
Second stop will be close to Rytířsko on plots with combined reforestation where the planting of reduced numbers of larch, maple, spruce and alder seedlings was combined with natural regeneration. Plots are now 5 years after reforestation.
The third stop is planned close to Nové Veselí, where the different methods of reforestation and silviculture on large clear-cuts were tested within a Norway-grants RAGO project (www.novylesjinak.cz/en). Various variants of cultivation for young stands of birch, oak and other tree species will be presented there.
During the stops, we plan to find time to discuss also other topics, such as methods of forest protection, threats from other pathogens, damage to reforested areas by wildlife, or the perception of bark-beetle outbreak and forest management by the general public.
Excursion will end in Žďár nad Sázavou, where we will shortly visit the Pilgrimage Church of St. John of Nepomuk at Zelená hora, which is the UNESCO World heritage monument (https://www.zelena-hora.eu/en) and will have a dinner.