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In this study, we examined to what extent the internal site factors (light and soil conditions) are responsible for herb layer diversity in oak-dominated forest stands growing on different substrates in central Bohemia (Czech Republic). We collected data on herb layer diversity, light and nutrient availability at nine oak stands, representing the range of environmental variability for these types of forests in the region. We found that species richness increased with light availability, but only if the site occupied predominantly by fast-colonizing species was excluded from the analysis (P \ 0.05). Species richness correlated positively with soil pH and negatively with nitrogen (N) concentration in humus (P \ 0.05). The highest species richness was found at sites with not only low N soil concentration, but also simultaneously with high phosphorus (P) soil concentration. Despite this finding, however, herb layer diversity is evidently threatened much more in P-rich soils than in P-poor soils. It seems that the enhancement of N in an ecosystem due to litter accumulation and N deposition generally leads to only a minor increase in N availability at P-poor sites, but a considerable increase at P-rich sites. Therefore, species richness can be exceptionally high at P-rich sites, but only under conditions of strong N limitation.

Within the area of Central Europe, and especially in the Czech Republic (and former Czechoslovakia), geobiocoenological landscape differentiation has been applied for more than 40 years to create a spatial model of the natural (potential) condition of geobiocoenoses in the landscape. Because long-term objective of geobiocoenology is to contribute to the creation of harmonic cultural landscape by gradual development of a comprehensive system of groundworks for sustainable landscape use, and as Mendel University experts work in various countries, adaptions of geobiocoenology were used also outside Europe, in tropical areas. Examples of such a work could be shown on islands such as Socotra (belonging politically to Yemen), Tasmania, and Cuba.

The applied skidding technology strongly influences the impact of harvest on the ecosystem and success of natural regeneration. The impact of skidder SLKT 81 and high-lead system Larix 3T on forest soil and natural regeneration was compared under analogical site and stand conditions in a production beech forest in the environs of Brno, Czech Republic. The skidder was found to have greater effects on the soil surface consistency, soil properties and natural regeneration than the high-lead system operations. Although high-lead system operations are more friendly to all parts of forest ecosystem, the skidder may not cause excessive damage when applied under suitable terrain and climatic conditions.

The alienation from nature has a major impact on the education of primary school pupils and pre-school children. In the review paper we focus on research into this phenomena. We chose 79 articles on Web of Science, 39 on Scopus, and two in the Czech database RIV. From this a total number of 21 articles were selected, analysed and presented to the readers in this article. It turned out that alienation from nature is a fuzzy concept. Many experts rely on it. But it is not precisely defined in the literature. Two main topics appeared in the articles that were considered: connectedness and relation to nature and fear of animals and disgust aroused by them. The main findings are: a) teachers and parents are already alienated, b) examples of good practice show ways of bringing nature closer to children, c) children’s attitudes to nature are changing; they are more afraid of animals and disgusted by them, d) a certain degree of fear and disgust is useful, e) differences between the sexes appear only at an older age. This phenomenon needs to be studied further. Keywords: pre-school pedagogy, primary school pedagogy, alienation from nature, generation alpha

Differentiation of forest technologies according to ecosystem properties is a necessary step to achieve sustainable forestry. A forest typological system is considered to be the basic unit of ecosystem differentiation in the Czech Republic. Terrain characteristics, potential water erosion and applicable harvest technology were examined for 44 forest sites in a landscape segment of the Jizerské hory Mts. Forest site was found homogeneous in terms of terrain and technological properties. Edaphic category and groups of forest types as higher classification units and management sets as units of alternative classification showed lower homogeneity insufficient for operational planning.