The university forest enterprise in Kostelec nad Černýmil Lesy - a basis for practical education and research at the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences in Prague

The paper presents the University Forest Enterprise, established in 1935, as an important part of the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague. The contribution also describes the natural conditions of the enterprise (altitude, climate, geological and soil condition) and the species composition of the forests. Attention is also paid to the organizational structure of the enterprise and to the main activities, being carried out there. These are focused on education and research. However, the number of these activities is stagnating or declining in recent years. Therefore it is necessary to seek a new financing model and start work on the modemization of the facilities and equipment

Forests for University Education: Examples and Experiences: Proceedings of the SILVA Network Conference, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague

Forests play a crucial role in preserving terrestrial biodiversity, producing renewable raw materials, and in reducing the scale and impact of climate change. Proper forest management is therefore crucial for today's society. For these reasons, forestry education is no less important because its aim is to educate highly qualified professionals capable of meeting current challenges. Forestry education has already had a relatively rich history, in many European countries over 100, even 200 years. A very important role in forestry education has always been played by the forest itself, which has been the place of teaching and the largest research laboratory. However, given the rapid advances in science and technology development, it is necessary to redefine the place and importance of the forest for university forestry education at present

Synthesis, structure, and opto-electronic properties of organic-based nanoscale heterojunctions

Enormous research effort has been put into optimizing organic-based opto-electronic systems for efficient generation of free charge carriers. This optimization is mainly due to typically high dissociation energy (0.1-1 eV) and short diffusion length (10 nm) of excitons in organic materials. Inherently, interplay of microscopic structural, chemical, and opto-electronic properties plays crucial role. We show that employing and combining advanced scanning probe techniques can provide us significant insight into the correlation of these properties. By adjusting parameters of contact- and tapping-mode atomic force microscopy (AFM), we perform morphologic and mechanical characterizations (nanoshaving) of organic layers, measure their electrical conductivity by current-sensing AFM, and deduce work functions and surface photovoltage (SPV) effects by Kelvin force microscopy using high spatial resolution. These data are further correlated with local material composition detected using micro-Raman spectroscopy and with other electronic transport data. We demonstrate benefits of this multi-dimensional characterizations on (i) bulk heterojunction of fully organic composite films, indicating differences in blend quality and component segregation leading to local shunts of photovoltaic cell, and (ii) thin-film heterojunction of polypyrrole (PPy) electropolymerized on hydrogen-terminated diamond, indicating covalent bonding and transfer of charge carriers from PPy to diamond

Development and Present State of Close-to-Nature Silviculture

Close to nature silviculture is an alternative to a forest management system based on the clear cutting regeneration and cultivation of even-aged coniferous monocultures. The history of close to nature silviculture dates back to the second half of the 19th century, when the first attempts were made in Central Europe for more sophisticated silvicultural practices based on natural small-scale regeneration and management of mixed stands. These activities also affected the Czech lands, where the ideas of close to nature silviculture were successfully developed by the end of the 1960s. For the next twenty years, however, under the influence of central planning, forest management has been inclined towards large-scale clear cutting system. The renaissance of close to nature forest management took place only after 1989. At present, close to nature silviculture being established not only in Central Europe, but also more and more in the boreal part of Europe as well as in North America. Currently, there is a discussion about suitability of close-to-nature silviculture for adapting temperate forests to climate change

The university forest enterprise in Kostelec nad Černýmil Lesy - a basis for practical education and research at the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences in Prague

The paper presents the University Forest Enterprise, established in 1935, as an important part of the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague. The contribution also describes the natural conditions of the enterprise (altitude, climate, geological and soil condition) and the species composition of the forests. Attention is also paid to the organizational structure of the enterprise and to the main activities, being carried out there. These are focused on education and research. However, the number of these activities is stagnating or declining in recent years. Therefore it is necessary to seek a new financing model and start work on the modemization of the facilities and equipment

How to Increase Biodiversity of Saproxylic Beetles in Commercial Stands through Integrated Forest Management in Central Europe

Due to traditional forest management, the primary goal of which is the production of raw wood material, commercial forest stands are characterized by low biodiversity. At the same time, commercial forests make up the majority of forests in the Central European region, which means a significant impact on the biodiversity of the entire large region. Saproxylic species of organisms are a frequently used criterion of biodiversity in forests. Based upon the analysis of 155 scientific works, this paper defines the fundamental attributes of the active management supporting biodiversity as well as the preservation of the production function. Using these attributes, a model management proposal was created for three tree species, which takes into account the results of research carried out in the territory of the University Forest Enterprise of the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, since 2019. The optimum constant volume of deadwood in commercial stands was set at 40–60 m3/ha, 20% of which should be standing deadwood. The time framework is scheduled for an average rotation period of the model tree species, while the location of deadwood and frequency of enrichment must comply with the rate of decomposition, the requirement for the bulkiest dimensions of deadwood possible, and the planned time of tending and regeneration operations in accordance with the models used in the Czech Republic. The goal of active management is to maintain the continuity of suitable habitats for sensitive and endangered species. The estimates of the value of retained wood for decomposition can be as high as 45–70 EUR/ha/year for spruce and beech, and about 30 EUR /ha/year for oak

Moisture diagnostic of a failured roof drainage situated behind a parapet wall and a subsequent condensate influence to a wooden construction

There are several possibilities how to deal with a roof drainage. From an architectonic point of view an improper and unsuitable system is chosen in a majority of cases which may be as a logical consequence the beginning of upcoming problems. One of these problems is typically connected with either a roof location near the parapet wall, or in the corner of a flat roof. Another one is generally represented by a roof drainage solution with a side inflow for the drainage system that goes through the parapet wall construction. This solution is represented by a useful space increase in a layout of the building and an installation of a rainwater drainage core is not necessary in such cases. In case more of negative effects accumulate, such as an improper thermal insulation quality or insufficient thickness of the thermal insulation, significant problems may appear hand in hand with using of the building. These problems are generally represented by a moisture appearance in the inflow area. What more, this is not always detected and a major cause can be determined very hardly. This article deals with possible solutions for the wooden construction failure caused by the moisture that may emerge as an improper inflow layout consequence