Permanent activities based on assignation of the Ministry of Agriculture of the CR:

(1) Expert and consulting activity in forest regeneration and tending including biotechnology application and special planting of fast-growing tree species, preservation and using of clone archives and demonstrational objects1)
(Main coordinator: B. Lomský)

Research Station Opočno (Coordinator: J. Novák):

  • On the base of the demands of forest owners and other interested persons, expert information on particular problems of forest tending and regeneration are provided, in personal communication or written form, based on continuously completed database of information from both domestic and foreign sources. Seminars and training courses are prepared for forest owners and other interested subjects, on the most important problems of forest regeneration and tending, in the stands under heavy anthropogenic load, including publications (proceedings and guides).
  • Practical demonstrations for forest owners are prepared using the network of permanent demonstrational objects (totally 117), to show particular ways of forest regeneration and tending measures. Processing and archiving of data have been arranged for each object including management software.
  • Management of demonstrational objects1) for forest regeneration and tending (totally 13) focused on both productive and non-productive forest functions under supposed climate change. These objects are used for expert and consulting activities resulting from membership of IUFRO (International Union of Forest Research Organizations) and EFI (European Forest Institute).

Other activities are guaranteed by:

  • Department of forest tree species biology and breeding (Coordinator: J. Malá) - using of biotechnologies.
  • Research station Kunovice (Coordinator: L. Čížková) - special planting of fast-growing tree species, preservation and using of clone archives.

1): Demonstrational object for forest regeneration and tending is long-term object, which is a source of exact information about the effect of silvicultural measures on forest stands in interaction of changing growth conditions. Demonstrational system is based on comparative plots with different management. Recommended measures are verified and presented here for forest owners and other interested subjects. Objects established by IUFRO methodology are also included.

(2) Expert activity in founding and evaluating of biomass accumulation in forest ecosystems
(Coordinator: M. Slodičák)

  • This project is oriented on receiving the data for accumulation of carbon in below- and above- ground biomass in forest ecosystems of the Czech Republic. In the frame of the activities, basic information on the total amount of above and belowground biomass and accumulated carbon with respect to forest management required by international institutions are provided. Databases about litter fall and humus accumulation and decomposition in forest soils on 19 localities of the 1st to 8th forest vegetation zones in the stands of the main tree species (spruce, pine, beech, oak, larch, birch and blue spruce stands) are continually updated and evaluated. On the basis of National Inventory data, the expansion coefficients are assessed and précised for biomass estimation in forest stands of the Czech Republic. Using the results of forest soil investigation and the data of National Inventory, the amount of biomass and carbon in forest soil is evaluated.

Permanent expert and consultation activities:

(3) Forest tree nursery control
(guaranted by accredited Laboratory no. 1175.2 Forest Nursery Control)

  • On the base of a current knowledge, the methods of evaluation of the morphological and physiological quality of forest planting stock is continuously elaborated. Mainly creation of relevant database on the newly applied method of measuring of the root growth potential, water potential by a pressure flask, and measuring of electric conductivity of the root extracts were stressed. More details:

(4) Expert and consultation activity in the field of forest seed and nursery management, reforestation, and afforestation including the quality control of the reproduction material of forest tree species
(guaranted by accredited Forest Seed Testing Laboratory or accredited Laboratory no. 1175.2 Forest Nursery Control)

  • In frame of the activity, expert service was ensured on problem of the quality of forest tree seeds and reproductive material (standards), suitable growing of seedlings, keeping of optimal growing conditions, use of biologically suitable types of containerised plants, optimisation of reforestation techniques (lower losses), and finding out of causes of unsatisfactory regeneration.
  • The occurrence of fungi on forest tree seeds (mainly on beechnuts) was evaluated as well. Also the incidence of Fusarium circinatum on conifer seeds was investigated.
  • Forest subjects (owners) have addressed our laboratory mainly in disputable cases, mainly doubts on lower physiological quality of seedlings, to prevent losses in reforestation. To ensure objectivity, samples were taken by the staff of the Forest Research Station at Opočno. The protocols, based on the assessment results, were proceeded to the contractors.
  • Evaluation of the newly used types of containers for containerised seedlings is also an important part of the work.
  • Information service for forest owners based on professional information database was ensured by personal communication, phone, fax, e-mail, or short written reports. The database has about 8 800 records (bibliographic citations) on forest nursery, reforestation, and connected fields, and it is completed continuously by recent home and foreign information. The database of seed quality contains records about more then 26 000 seed samples.
  • Management of Web site of research stations (World Wide Web servers), presentations at conferences and seminars and in professional articles to forestry problems are another form of the expert activity.




Permanent expert and consultation activities by Forest Research Station at Opocno (before 2009):

Forest nursery control
(A. Jurasek, service No. 6201)

On the base of a current knowledge, the methods of evaluation of the morphological and physiological quality of forest planting stock is continuously elaborated. Mainly creation of relevant database on the newly applied method of measuring of the root growth potential, water potential by a pressure flask, and measuring of electric conductivity of the root extracts were stressed. More details:

Experimental base for regeneration and tending of forest stands
(M. Slodicak, 6301)

The wide experimental base is providing high quality information in the field of current problems in forest tending. Quality evaluation and interpretation of the results is enabled by a long-term investigation of individual experiments, in some cases it is even several decades. The experiments are focused on the problem of forest tending (mainly regeneration and tending measures), and connected disciplines. More details:

Permanent expert and consultation activities

Expert and consultation activity in forest nursery management and afforestation
(V. Narovec, 6620)

In frame of the activity, consultation service was ensured on problem of the quality of reproductive material (standards), suitable growing of seedlings, keeping of optimal growing conditions, use of biologically suitable types of containerized plants, optimization of reforestation techniques (lower losses), and finding out of causes of unsatisfactory regeneration. More details:

Consultative and expert activity in forest regeneration and tending and special recommendations for specific way of management, based on the demands of forest owners
(M. Slodicak, 6630)

The service is focused mainly on forest owners and other subjects managing the forest stands. They are supplied by different form of information on management, with regard to different functions of the forest stands and their stability. Mainly nature close, sensitive way of management is stressed, i. e. underplanting, and some concrete tending programs, specified for individual regions, according to the forest state and level of anthropogenic load. More details:



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Rightness: by A. Jurasek
Open to the public: December-17, 2001
Last update: March-16, 2009