Obsah/Content: ZLV 3/2025
ZLV, 70, 2025, Číslo 30 - 0.
The article deals with the seeding of silver fir under young silver birch stands and at the same time seeding of fir with birch in clearings. The patches seeding under a birch stand (site: Fagetum mesotrophicum) of about 20 years old was carried out in the autumn of 2018. In the same year, patches seeding of fir and birch were carried out on two clearings (site: Querceto-Fagetum mesotrophicum; Abieto-Fagetum mesotrophicum). Subsequently, in 2022, patch and pile seeding of fir and birch was conducted on two additional clearings (site: Abieto-Fagetum oligomesotrophicum; Piceeto-Abietum variohumidum acidophilum). Five years after experiment establishment a silver fir seed yield under birch stand reached 7.2%. In case of clearings silver fir seed yield ranged from 0% to 2%. In contrast to seeding fir under the birch stand, direct seeding of fir in the clearings cannot be considered a suitable restoration method, even when combined with birch seeding.
The Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) is a protected species in the Czech Republic, and its natural return to the landscape is regarded as a major success in wildlife conservation. However, its activities strengthen the conflict with land-use practices, particularly in economically important areas. Common problems include damage to woody vegetation, grazing and flooding of agricultural crops, disruption of flood protection structures, and deterioration of pond dams – especially in regions with intensive fishpond management. In response to these issues, current beaver management in the Czech Republic allows targeted removal of individuals in conflict areas under specific legal exemptions. This article presents the first empirical data on long-term hunting management of Castor fiber in a fishpond landscape in the Czech Republic, specifically in the Pohořelice region, where intensive monitoring and regulated hunting have been conducted continuously since 2018. The research assessed both the development and characteristics of hunted individuals and the spatial distribution of beaver signs in the field. The results suggest that prolonged hunting pressure may limit the establishment of stable territories and affect spatial behavior – evidenced, for example, by increased concentration of tree gnawing close to the water’s edge. This study provides unique insights to support the optimization of management strategies for this conflict-prone species in a human-modified landscape.
Forest stand composition and structure are key factors affecting the productivity, resilience, and ecological functioning of forest ecosystems under changing climatic conditions. However, quantitative assessments comparing different stand types and mixture degrees remain limited, particularly for Central European beech–spruce forests. The study aimed to evaluate the production potential of Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] H. Karst.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in three different stand structures; specifically, two monocultures (A1_EB, A2_NS), two even-aged mixed stands (B1_EB, B2_NS), and one structurally rich stand (C_NS) were studied. The Forest Training Enterprise Křtiny in the Masaryk Forest, South Moravia, Czech Republic (397–553 m a.s.l.) managed all these stands. The competitive environment among the variants was not statistically significant; however, the production parameters showed substantial differences. The structurally rich spruce stand (C_NS) exhibited more than 40% higher production compared to the other spruce variants (A2_NS and B2_NS). Analysis of five-year basal area inkrement (BAI) periods from 1991 to 2020 consistently confirmed the highest values for the C_NS variant, with significant differences (p < 0.05) in most observed intervals. The results demonstrate the strong production potential of the structurally rich stand, especially for Norway spruce, under Central European conditions. In contrast, European beech showed a more moderate growth pattern, with no statistically significant differences observed across the five-year intervals. The study supports silvicultural strategies that promote mixed and spatially heterogeneous stand structures as a mean to increase both productivity and ecological stability.
Global climate change (GCC) underscores the need to increase the resistance of forest ecosystems, with mixed stands increasingly considered a key adaptation strategy for maintaining both productive and ecological stability. The study was conducted in the Ore Mountains (542–603 m a.s.l.) on 20 permanent research plots in 86–102-year-old stands of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.; BK) and Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst; SM). The aim was to evaluate the effect of species admixture on diversity and production potential in pure and mixed stands across five variants (admixture of 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%). The results demonstrated significant differences (p < 0.001) between admixture variants for most of the studied parameters. Mixed stands showed 32.5% higher tree density, 47.4% higher basal area, and 54.1% higher stand volume (558 m3/ha) compared to monocultures (362 m3/ha), with the highest stand volume observed in the SM 50% + BK 50% variant (614 m3/ha). In terms of production, species evenness proved to be the most important factor. Diversity indices of the tree layer revealed a strong advantage of mixtures, particularly in the SM 50% + BK 50% variant, which also reached the highest values of overall diversity (B 5.64), whereas spruce monocultures showed the lowest values (B 3.21). Mixed stands achieve higher production potential, carbon sequestration, and structural diversity compared to monospecific stands. The promotion of mixed beech–spruce stands can be recommended as a suitable silvicultural strategy to enhance stability, resilience, and multifunctionality of forests under GCC in similar site conditions.
Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) is regarded as one of the most promising introduced tree species for Central European forestry due to its high productivity and adaptability. This study compares the diameter and height growth of Douglas-fir and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) using data from the Czech National Forest Inventory (NFI). Fifty-seven inventory plots with co-occurring Douglas-fir and spruce of the same age (12–120 years) were selected, covering a range of ecological site types. The analysis was based on mean stem diameter (quadratic mean of DBH) and mean tree height, aggregated at the plot level. Results show that Douglas-fir exhibits significantly faster growth in both diameter and height across all ecological series. At 100 years of age, Douglas-fir achieved an average mean diameter of 50 cm and mean height of 31.5 m, compared to 35 cm and 28.2 m for spruce. The diameter ratio (qDg) between spruce and Douglas-fir decreased linearly with age, while the height ratio (qH) remained relatively stable. Generalized Additive Models (GAM) were used to analyze the dynamics of height-diameter ratio (HDR) and crown ratio (CR), revealing similar trends for both species, though Douglas-fir showed more favorable HDR values. The findings highlight Douglas-fir’s superior growth performance and support its potential for broader use in Central European forestry, especially on nutrient-rich and acidic sites.
Public participation in forestry planning stems from the general interest of various stakeholder groups in the use and protection of forests. It is rooted in society’s concern for sustainable forest management and the need to ensure the provision of forest ecosystem services. The aim of the article is to analyze the quality of public and stakeholder participation in selected forestry planning processes. The methodological approach was qualitative, using semi-structured interviews and their thematic analysis where meaningful “themes” that reflect respondents’ experience with the participation process were identified. Using three decision-making processes in forestry planning, the participation process and its perceived quality were evaluated. Public participation in Slovakia is often symbolic and implemented as a one-time information activity rather than a process of open discussion with stakeholders. The quality of participation varies depending on the type of process and the participation methods used but was assessed as insufficient. Respondents expressed the view that broader stakeholder engagement in forestry planning can help reduce conflicts in forest management.
At air-polluted sites, Macedonian pine (MCP) was found to withstand harsh conditions, where sulfur dioxide induced Norway spruce (NS) die-off. Despite MCP is a native species in the Balkans only, it is mixed with NS frequently. It has been more than 30 years since a planting experiment was established in the Jizera Mts., where MCP’s capability of thriving within the large post-calamity clear-cut was tested. The objective of the study was to compare the performance of MCP with nearby standing NS of the same age and also analyze forest floor properties. The results showed that performance of MCP was similar to that one of NS in the conditions of the study site. The MCP differed principally in higher basal area due to forked stems and heavier organic forest floor of litter-fall origin, which was lower in plant-available nutrients. The pH KCl matched with differences in basic cations contents and their saturation.
The root biomass represents a significant carbon pool in forest ecosystems. However, directly determining belowground biomass is challenging, and using allometric equations or root-to-shoot ratios is associated with a high degree of uncertainty. This study aimed to review available models for estimating root biomass and based on a comparative analysis, identify suitable allometric equations for quantifying the belowground biomass of major forest tree species in the Czech Republic. A total of 49 models from across Europe were tested for spruce, pine, beech, and oak. Among the equations derived from empirical data, the suitable models for our coniferous species are those by Repola (2009); for beech, the models by Huet et al. (2004) are recommended, and for oak, the model by Offenthaler, Hochbichler (2006) is preferred. The models by Forrester et al. (2017), based on pseudo-data generated from available European models, are applicable to all the tree species studied. The selected equations can be recommended for national forestry reporting (e.g. Forest Europe, UNFCCC).