Comparison of Economic Efficiency of Management Systems with Prevailing Representation of Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.) in the Territory of Křivoklátsko Forest Park (Czech Republic)

The objective of the article was to model the economic efficiency of coppice and compare it with that of an oak high forest (primarily for the territory of Křivoklátsko Forest Park). The model calculations were based on actual expenses and revenues from the area of interest to the maximum possible extent. The calculations included methods both with time factor (dynamic methods, namely the method of net present value) and without time factor (static methods). For the area of Křivoklátsko Forest Park, the examined data showed that the economic efficiency of coppice could be greater than that of high forest or over-mature coppice.O

Evaluation of transformation from even-aged to selection forest by means of Gini index

We used the Gini index for evaluation of the 40-year transformation to selection forests in the Training Forest Enterprise Masaryk Forest Křtiny (Czech Republic). The Gini index values for particular forest stands were compared with the reference values derived from the diameter distribution model curve (type E) by Meyer. From a total of sixteen stands which were evaluated in 2013 (the last periodic inventory), only two stands reached the desired diameter structure. Four other stands reached the desired diameter structure at least once during the transformation period. We recommend the application of Gini index for determination of a success rate of even-aged stand transformation to selection forest.O

Growth Response of Sessile Oak and European Hornbeam to Traditional Coppice-with-Standards Management

Research Highlights: The influence of litter raking and livestock grazing on the development of juvenile sessile oak and European hornbeam sprouts as well as on sessile oak standards were studied. Such experiments are very rare, especially in central Europe where these activities have been prohibited for several decades. Little is known on how these ancient management activities affect tree growth. Background and Objectives: Traditional management practices in coppice forests such as grazing and litter raking have been abandoned, but have recently been studied as to whether these practices can substantially contribute to an increase in the species diversity of coppices. The important question is, however, how these practices influence the growth of coppice-with-standards. Therefore, this study focused on the effect of grazing, litter raking, and their combination on both sprouts and adult trees in a coppice-with-standards system one year after harvest. Materials and Methods: The experiment was carried out in the area of the Training Forest Enterprise Masaryk Forest Křtiny, Czech Republic, in a forest stand dominated by sessile oak and European hornbeam. We analyzed 132 oak polycormons, 132 hornbeam polycormons, and 163 oak standards. Results: The number of sprouts per stump was affected by the stump size and management practice: (A) coppice-with-standards, litter raking, and sheep grazing; (B) coppice-with-standards and sheep grazing; (C) coppice-with-standards and litter raking; and (D) coppice-with-standards), but not by tree species. The number of the sprouts as well as their height increased with the stump size. In contrast, grazing resulted in a smaller height of the sprouts while thinner sprouts were found under a combination of grazing and raking. When comparing the species, the oak sprouts were higher and thicker when compared to the hornbeam sprouts. The increment of standards increased after stand harvest. This, however, was not the result of grazing or raking, but the response to the reduction of tree number and thus of competition between neighboring trees. Conclusions: The results showed that there were rather negative impacts from the implemented traditional management practices on the growth of sprouts. This may lead to the question of whether ecological diversity resulting from the traditional practices may prevail their negative effect on the growth of the coppices.O

Soil Microbial Functional Diversity under the Single-Season Influence of Traditional Forest Management in a Sessile Oak Forest of Central Europe

This one-year study focuses on the responses of a soil environment to the implementation of traditional forest management practices in oak-hornbeam stands with the following treatments: cut (C), cut + litter raking (CR), cut + grazing (CG), cut + litter raking + grazing (CRG) and control (Ctrl). The cut was conducted in 2018 through extremely heavy thinning. In autumn of 2017 and 2018, we sampled the soils, focusing on microbial functional diversity (FD) assessments using BIOLOG EcoplateTM. After one season, the FD was the highest in the Ctrl stand and the lowest in the CRG stand. Furthermore, we detected significant seasonal differences in soil reaction, nitrate nitrogen content, phosphatase activity and microbial biomass among the treatments. In particular, the Ctrl stand was defined via FD indices and biochemical and biological soil properties that contrasted mainly with those of the CRG stand defined by the content of mineral nitrogen forms. The soil properties did not differ substantially in the remaining treatments. Of the 31 carbon sources defining FD, 6 were treatment-specific (putrescine, L-arginine, L-serine, L-threonine, D-cellobiose and glycogen), while the remaining carbon sources mainly displayed either uniform high or low activity across the treatments.O

Development of sessile oak and European hornbeam sprouts after thinning

We observed the growth of juvenile sprouts at stool level in an oak-hornbeam selective coppice after selective thinning. We tested the relations of sprouting probability, number and height of new sprouts, and stool biometric characteristics with thinning intensity and light conditions. We compared the results between the two species. The sprouting probability, number of new sprouts, and height of new sprouts were modelled using different types of regression (logistic, generalized linear, and multiple linear regression) evaluated from 84 sessile oak (Quercus petraea Matt. Liebl.) and 139 European hornbeam (Carpinus betulus L.) stools with the same site conditions. There were no significant relations between sprouting probability and the tested parameters because nearly all stools re-sprouted. The growth (number and height) of new sprouts depended on the stool basal area before thinning and on thinning intensity. Light conditions (indirect site factor) only influenced the number of new European hornbeam sprouts in 2016 and the height of new sessile oak sprouts. The number of new sprouts in European hornbeam was higher than in sessile oak.O

Tree Quality and Forest Structure Changes in the First Stage of Conversion of High Forest Into Coppice-with-standards

The work is aimed on evaluation of the effect of thinning on stand structure and changes of the quality of the trees under strong thinning measures in the forest stand with prevailing Quercus petraea in South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Three thinning variants with 100, 140 and 180 remaining trees per hectare were applied in four replications to simulate structure of a coppice-with-standards forest on a four hectare plot of high forest. On average, the implemented thinning reduced the total tree number from 717 to 140 individuals per hectare. After the thinning, the ratio of potential standards according to stories (the youngest, medium and the oldest) was 68:29:3, which corresponds with 46:44:10 ratio according to the volume. An average of 70–83% of the volume (76–85% of trees) was harvested in individual cells with different thinning variants. Relative frequencies of potential standards in quality score classes (A:B:C) were balanced and corresponded to the mean ratio of 11:49:40. The relative distribution of timber volume in score classes was also balanced and corresponded on average to the final ratio of 22:46:32. After the thinning it almost reached the generally recommended diameter distribution of standards in a coppice-with-standards. So far the applied measures did not significantly increase the overall quality of the remaining tree stand

Methods and procedures for the protection of anthropogenic objects of historical human activities in forests

The methodology focuses on the use of information about identification, documentation and presentation of anthropogenic objects - relics of historical human economic activity in forests,. These information result from linking forestry, heritage conservation and archaeology. Anthropogenic objects in forests are mainly old roads, sites of historical raw material extraction, raw material processing objects, abandoned settlements, signs of past coppice management, etc. The reason for the development of the methodology is the fear of loss (damage) of these objects by forestry activities. exacerbated at present by the processing of a bark beetle calamity of big proportions on a substantial part of the Czech Republic. If we accepted damage tor destruction of these objects, we would also accept a loss of cultural and historical heritage of the Czech Republic

The Response of Basal Area Increment in Old Sprout-origin Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.) Trees During Their Conversion to a Coppice-with-standards

This paper addresses the response of adult sprout-origin sessile oaks (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.) to a strong release. Our research plot was established at the Training Forest Enterprise of Mendel University in Brno (Czech Republic) at the turn of 2008/2009. The plot is situated on a plateau with mesotrofic soil in a beech-oak forest vegetation zone at an altitude of 410 m above sea level. Tree responses were monitored using precise girth measurements. During the first year after the release, the basal area increment showed a positive correlation with only the tree diameter. During the second and third year, the basal area increment was also correlated with the release intensity. During the third year, the basal area increment was explained by the tree diameter, the crown shape, and the release intensity as well as individual types of epicormic shoot occurrence. The occurrence of epicormic shoots in the lower part of the trunks and umbel-shaped crowns increased the basal area increment. In the first, second and third year after thinning, the model explained 11.79%, 11.25% and 28.99%, respectively, of the basal area increment variability. Adult trees of sprout origin responded to a strong release very early (within two years) after felling