Ex situ germination of European acorns: data from 93 batches of 12 Quercus species

8 p.We provide data on seedlot germination potential?a key trait related to regeneration?of 12 oak species. Germination was tested at the University of Granada following international protocols with 8985 acorns from 93 batches and 16 countries across Europe. Data on germination probability, acorn origin, mass, and moisture content measured on another 4544 acorns are available at https://doi.org/10.30827/Digibug.87318. Associated metadata are available at https://metadata-afs.nancy.inra.fr/geonetwork/srv/fre/catalog.search#/metadata/a742c6d8-bc37-4ca2-8b81-2447c5a8858d.Ministerio de Ciencia e InnovaciónUniversidad de GranadaJunta de AndalucíaMinisterio de Ciencia, Innovación y UniversidadesFEDE

Critical success factors of small and medium enterprises in forestry and wood industry in the južnokučajsko forest region

SUMMARY Contractors for forest services play an important role in the forestry sector and, nowadays, are a common model of performing activities in forests. In addition, they represent a link between forest owners and enterprises within the wood industry. This research aims to study the characteristics of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the forestry and wood industry and the organization of their business processes in the Južnokučajsko forest region (JKFR), as internal critical success factors. JKFR was chosen because it has a high forest cover, a large share of privately owned forests, and the largest primary wood processing company in East Serbia is located within the region and developed furniture industry. Data were collected by conducting surveys with 43 representatives of SMEs from the forestry, primary and final wood processing sectors, which operate on the territory of JKFR. The following internal critical success factors are analysed: characteristics of the enterprises and organization of business processes. The results show that most of the forestry and wood industry enterprises were established after 2000. All enterprises from the forestry and primary wood processing sector belong to the category of micro-enterprises, while 14% of final wood processing enterprises belong to the category of small, and the rest to micro-enterprises. The largest number of SMEs in forestry (77.8%) perform activities in state forests, and 66.7% in private forests. Around ½ SMEs in forestry perform work without long-term contracts with other enterprises. However, most (88.9%) of these enterprises perform forest work independently (using their own machinery). Primary wood processing enterprises most often procure raw materials from private forest owners (77.8%), and final wood processing enterprises from sawmills (78.6%). Most wood industry enterprises have their own processing facilities, while others perform processing in cooperation with other enterprises. The most frequent buyers of products from primary processing enterprises are individuals, while most (78.6%) of final wood processing enterprises sell products through retail

Genetic diversity and forest reproductive material - from seed source selection to planting

How much of genetic diversity is desirable in mass production of forest reproductive material? How mass production of forest reproductive material reduces genetic diversity? Relation between genetic diversity and mass production of forest reproductive material is discussed in a holistic manner. In industrial forest plantations, narrow genetic diversity is desirable and reproductive material is produced at clone level. On the other hand, in conservation forestry a wide genetic diversity is imperative. Beside management goals, a desirable level of genetic diversity is related to rotation cycle and ontogeny of tree species. Risks of failure are lower in short rotations of fast growing species. In production of slow growing species, managed in long rotations, the reduction of genetic diversity increases the risk of failure due to causes unknown or unexpected at the time of planting. This risk is additionally increased in cases of seed transfer and in conditions of climate change. Every step in production of forest reproductive material, from collection to nursery production, has an effect on genetic diversity mainly by directional selection and should be considered. This review revealed no consistent decrease of genetic diversity during forest reproductive material production and planting

Regulatory Framework for Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Forest Genetic Resources in Serbia

The aim of this chapter is an overall review and analysis of the most important national regulative frameworks related to conservation and sustainable utilization of forest genetic resources in Serbia. A number of legally-binding and non-binding documents (strategies, laws and programs), which have an effect on the conservation and sustainable utilization of forest genetic resources, were adopted after the 2000s in Serbia. This issue is mainly the subject of strategies, laws and programs from the fields of forestry, sustainable development, environmental and nature protection. It could be stated that there is no adopted legally-binding legislation which directly relates to the FGR conservation in Serbia

Institutional Framework for Conservation of Forest Genetic Resources in Serbia

In this chapter is analysed the institutional framework for conservation of forest genetic resources (FGR) in Serbia, i.e. institutions and organizations responsible for this issue at the republic level. The results show that a number of institutions and organizations are involved in conservation work. The top institutions of public administration are the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management (through the work of the Directorate for Forests) and the Ministry of Environmental Protection (through the work of the Sector for Nature Protection and Climate Change). The public service for nature conservation is responsible for the support and control in the performance of professional activities. The public enterprise for state forests management and public enterprises for management of national parks, as well as other organizations, including non-governmental organizations, are responsible for the implementation of professional activities on FGR conservation. The work of educational and research institutions in relation to the conservation of FGR is done through different projects and programs, at the national and regional level. In most cases, the competencies of institutions and organizations do not relate exclusively to the FGR conservation but also include other activities. Conservation of FGR is a primary objective within the competence of public administration in forestry and nature conservation (competent ministries); public service in nature conservation; public enterprises in forestry and nature conservation; educational and research organizations. Bearing in mind a wide range of the institutional framework, it is necessary to build and implement a policy of cross-sectoral dialogue for successful implementation of FGR conservation activities. Although the conducted analysis did not show any no overlapping of the competencies of institutions and organizations, continuous cooperation and information exchange is necessary

Institutional innovation in european private forestry: The emergence of forest owners' organizations

The emergence and development of organizations of private forest owners in situations where they were not previously collectively organized is a relevant institutional innovation in forestry. This chapter looks at the factors that may have contributed to this institutional change in the following countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Lithuania, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Serbia and Slovakia. The conceptual framework used to present and discuss these country cases considers the following types of factors: (i) the structural changes in the social and economic environment of private forestry when forest owners' organizations emerged, and the needs for collective action of private forest owners triggered by those changes; (ii) the factors contributing to cope with the 'free riding' problems involved in collective action; (iii) the mechanisms leveraging the capacities of forest owners' associations beyond the initial domain where they emerged and contributing to give them the 'critical mass' needed for having substantial impact on forestry economic conditions; and (iv) the possible existence of 'path dependence' phenomena, where the conditions prevailing when forest owners' organizations emerged have a lasting influence throughout their lifetime. With different specifications according to the characteristics of each country, these four sets of factors appear to be useful as a common framework for organizing the explanation of how forest owners' associations emerged and developed in the countries considered here