Forest management in the Czech Republic (CR) was not shaped in the environment of natural forests but in the territory that was influenced by unregulated felling and animal grazing for a long time. Hence the fear for sustainable and balanced benefits from forests endangered by long-term uncontrolled exploitation was legitimate. Almost after three centuries of application of the sustainability principle, forests are considered not only as a source of renewable wood raw material but also as a tool of the environment formation. Mountain forests are an important landscape component of this country. They are an object of specific importance from the aspect of natural environment conservation, stabilization of natural processes and general landscape homeostasis. In addition, they fulfil a number of production and non-production functions. Cardinal elements of sustainable forest management in the CR conditions are as follows: management of the forest as an ecosystem, i.e. transition from exclusive care of forest tree species and their stands to care of the whole forest ecosystems; restructuring (conversion, reconstruction) of damaged and declining forests; optimum (species, genetic, spatial, age) structure of forest ecosystems differentiated according to site conditions and management targets; differentiated transition from general management to group or individual methods; utilization and support of spontaneous processes such as natural regeneration, competition and other principles of self-regulation. The above cardinal elements of sustainable forest management are applicable to forests of the CR in general, but their importance considerably increases in mountain forests where many species survive on the margin of subsistence. Moreover, mountain forests of CR have been heavily destroyed by anthropogenic factors, especially air-pollution ecological stresses, during the last three or four decades.
Growth and health state of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) in the ridge area of the Jizerské hory Mts. Forestry and Game Management Research Institute, Strnady, Opočno Research Station, Opočno, Czech Republic ABSTRACT: The silver fir was planted under mountain conditions in order to reveal its response to the addition of finely ground rocks (limestone and amphibolite) mixed with soil into the planting holes. The results document that the increments of the plantations fertilised with amphibolite were higher by 25% on average than those of the control plantations while the increments of the plantations treated with dolomitic limestone were lower by 13%. Generally, as concerns both the plantations with the application of ground rocks and the control ones, the development of the fir plantations in 1994-2007 is considered successful. As the damage by climatic stresses has gradually diminished, the number of dead trees has been decreasing and the height increments have been increasing in the last years, therefore a positive development is to be expected also in future. Five-year old, bare-rooted plants of the silver fir were planted within the research plot in the spring of 1994, at a spacing of 2 × 1 m onto square parcels 10 × 10 m in size (i.e. 50 individuals per parcel). The average initial height of the fir plantations was 18 cm. To minimise the influence of random differences on the growth conditions (soil conditions, microrelief, etc.), the plantings on the research plot were distributed into three blocks -replications, each replication included all variants; i.e. 450 fir plantings were planted altogether (control + ameliorated). The tests of the potential support to the vitality of the fir plantations by means of ameliorating measures were a part of the experiment. A part of the plantings was standard without soil amelioration treatment (control), in another part finely ground dolomitic limestone and finely ground amphibolite were added into the soil (Balcar et al. 2005). V. Balcar, D. Kacálek(Note: Dolomitic limestone of Horní Lánov origin contained 21.5% Ca and 11.3% Mg and consisted of these particle-size fractions: 57.5% of particles smaller than 0.2 mm, 20.4% of particles 0.2-0.5 mm in diameter, 16.3% of particles 0.5-1.0 mm in diameter, and 5.8% particles larger than 1.0 mm. Amphibolite of Markovice origin contained 7.9% Ca, 4.8% Mg, 0.8% K, and 0.1% P, and its particle-size structure was as follows: 42% of particles smaller than 0.05 mm, 53% of particles 0.50-0.25 mm in diameter, and 5% of particles larger than 0.25 mm.) Both these ground rocks were mixed with soil in the hole during planting, dolomitic limestone and amphibolite were applied in the amounts of 1 kg and 2 kg per plant, respectively (Balcar, Podrázský 1995;Podrázský, Balcar 1996;Kuneš et al. 2004). The amount of limestone was chosen based on previous positive experience with such ameliorative material added to support the growth of plantings near Trutnov (Tesař 1968), in the Orlické hory Mts. and Jizerské hory Mts. (Podrázský 1994). The d...
Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) is naturally a principal tree species in the upper and summit parts of the Jizerské hory Mts., nonetheless, a broadleaved admixture, such as European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), rowan (Sorbus aucuparia L.), birch (Betula sp.), sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) etc., was typical of the local indigenous forests. The broadleaved admixture has been reduced due to human activities in the course of history.Moreover, during the air-pollution disaster in the 1970s and 1980s, the allochthonous conifers were often cultivated in the most affected mountain parts (Pěnička 2007) for their better pollution resistance. Blue spruce (Picea pungens Engelmann) is the most important representative. At present, when the disaster is over and the air-pollution input to the forest ecosystems is lowered, these allochthonous stands should successively be converted into stands composed of more convenient native tree species (Balcar, Kacálek 2008a).The young coniferous plantations, which have replaced the old forests disturbed by pollution, are The aim of the experiment was to test the suitability of Alnus incana to form preparatory stands covering the site and thus enabling the reintroduction of more sensitive target species. A potential of Alnus incana to respond to slow-release fertilizing was tested as well. The control treatment showed sufficient growth dynamics, nevertheless, the fertilization significantly promoted the growth (documented by height, height increment and stem-base diameter). If some limitations of alder such as high light requirements are respected, the speckled alder can be recommended as a suitable species for preparatory stands even in the 7 th and 8 th altitudinal (vegetation) zones, especially when fertilized.
Forest floor is considered a major feature distinguishing forest from agricultural soils. Forest floor develops as forest stands grow and is composed of more or less altered plant-tissue biomass accumulated on the soil surface. Our study's aim was to find whether properties of both the organic layers and mineral soil differ according to the land-use history of the sites compared. Each site included an afforested area of immature 50-year-old spruce forest (AFF) on formerly agricultural land plus an adjacent area of old-growth 100-year-old spruce stand (FOR). The localities are situated at altitudes ranging between 600 and 850 metres above sea level. From the results of our study it can be concluded that both forest floor and mineral soil had higher pH and Ca concentration at formerly agricultural sites. C/N ratio is significantly lower in afforested soil. First-generation humus was significantly higher in phosphorus.Key words: afforestation; land use; legacy of agriculture; Picea abies (L.) Karst. ResumenImpactos en las propiedades del suelo de los bosques de pinabete en terrenos agrícolas abandonados El piso forestal es considerado una de las principales características distintivas de los suelos forestales frente a los agrícolas. El piso forestal se desarrolla según crecen las masas forestales y se compone de tejidos de vegetales de la biomasa más o menos alterados acumulados en la superficie del suelo. El objetivo de nuestro estudio fue determinar si las propiedades de las capas orgánicas y minerales del suelo difieren de acuerdo a la historia del uso del suelo de los sitios. Cada sitio incluye un área reforestada de bosque de pinabete inmaduro de 50 años de edad (AFF) en antiguo terreno agrícola, más un área adyacente madura de pinabete de 100 años de edad. Las localidades se encuentran en altitudes que oscilan entre 600 y 850 metros sobre el nivel del mar. De los resultados de nuestro estudio se puede concluir que tanto el suelo del bosque como el suelo mineral tenían un pH más alto y mayor concentración de Ca en los sitios agrícolas abandonados. La relación C/N es significativamente menor en los suelos reforestados. La primera generación de humus presentó un significativamente mayor contenido en fósforo.Palabras clave: reforestación; uso del suelo; Picea abies.
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