Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: J. Barszcz Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Forest Ecology, Agricultural University of Cracow, Cracow, Poland Author-Name: S. Małek Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Forest Ecology, Agricultural University of Cracow, Cracow, Poland Title: Stability of Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) stands in the Beskid Śląski and Beskid Żywiecki Mts. from the aspect of their nutrition status Abstract: The aim of the present research was to determine the stability of spruce stands in the areas of threat to forest stability in the Beskid Śląski and Beskid Żywiecki Mts. in the light of their nutrition. In 2002 samples of soil and of one- and two-year-old spruce needles were taken from sample plots representing various degrees of the threat of disintegration to stands. The following factors were determined in soil: reaction, exchangeable acidity, content of exchangeable cations: Ca2+, Mg2+, K+ and Na+ and the total content of macroelements: C, N, S, Ca, Mg, K and Na. Very small amounts of alkaline cations were found in the sorptive complex, present also in the chemical composition of spruce needles where most of the elements under analysis were in the lower zone of the optimum range or below the threshold values. The results of chemical analyses of spruce needles indicate differences in their content in various needle ages and a disturbance of their proportions, particularly of N, S, K to Ca and Mg, in the stands under serious threat of disintegration. They document the upsetting of mineral economy in spruce, which in turn may influence a greater susceptibility of this species to stress factors. Keywords: Norway spruce, soil, needles, macroelements, stability, Beskid Śląski Mts., Beskid Żywiecki Mts., Southern Poland Journal: Journal of Forest Science Pages: 41-48 Volume: 54 Issue: 2 Year: 2008 DOI: 10.17221/798-JFS File-URL: http://jfs.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/798-JFS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/jfs-200802-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnljfs:v:54:y:2008:i:2:id:798-JFS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: R. Novotný Author-Workplace-Name: Forestry and Game Management Research Institute, Strnady, Czech Republic Author-Name: Z. Lachmanová Author-Workplace-Name: Forestry and Game Management Research Institute, Strnady, Czech Republic Author-Name: V. Šrámek Author-Workplace-Name: Forestry and Game Management Research Institute, Strnady, Czech Republic Author-Name: L. Vortelová Author-Workplace-Name: Forestry and Game Management Research Institute, Strnady, Czech Republic Title: Air pollution load and stand nutrition in the Forest District Jablunkov, part Nýdek Abstract: Concentrations of air pollutants measured by passive samplers, atmospheric deposition to forest ecosystems, soil water chemistry, nutrient content in the soil and foliage were all measured within a study of the causes of forest decline in Nýdek Forest Range, Jablunkov Forest District (Silesian Beskids). Declining Norway spruce stands are situated in a region of historically high air pollution load, mainly from the Třinec and Ostrava agglomeration. Air pollution significantly decreased in the second half of the 1990s. Forest soils showing the insufficiency of main nutrients remain today as the main factor affecting the forest vitality. The situation in the soil is subsequently reflected in the nutrition level of the assimilation tissues. Simultaneous effects of other stressors (e.g. biotic, meteorological ones) can support a sudden worsening of the stand health and cause serious damage. Keywords: deposition, stand nutrition, spruce decline, Silesian Beskids Journal: Journal of Forest Science Pages: 49-54 Volume: 54 Issue: 2 Year: 2008 DOI: 10.17221/797-JFS File-URL: http://jfs.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/797-JFS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/jfs-200802-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnljfs:v:54:y:2008:i:2:id:797-JFS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: V. Šrámek Author-Workplace-Name: Forestry and Game Management Research Institute, Strnady, Czech Republic Author-Name: M. Vejpustková Author-Workplace-Name: Forestry and Game Management Research Institute, Strnady, Czech Republic Author-Name: R. Novotný Author-Workplace-Name: Forestry and Game Management Research Institute, Strnady, Czech Republic Author-Name: K. Hellebrandová Author-Workplace-Name: Forestry and Game Management Research Institute, Strnady, Czech Republic Title: Yellowing of Norway spruce stands in the Silesian Beskids - damage extent and dynamics Abstract: In recent years, the Czech part of the Silesian Beskids has been affected by strong yellowing of Norway spruce stands and gradual decline of individual trees. Similar damage has also been observed in the neighbouring parts of Poland and Slovakia. The article presents the results of an investigation in the Forest District Jablunkov - part Nýdek. To evaluate the situation, monitoring plots were established and a regional survey was carried out together with tree-ring analysis. The results show a mosaic distribution of damage in the region studied, independent of the altitude and forest type. Defoliation was lower in 20-40 years old stands. Even these young classes, however, show yellowing symptoms. The decline of stands started to be visible at the end of the 1990s; significant loss of vitality was observed in the most affected stands in 2003, after an extremely hot and dry vegetation period. Actual development of meteorological conditions plays an important role in the stand damage. Lastly, possible causes of damage and further development are discussed. Keywords: Norway spruce, forest decline, needle yellowing, Silesian Beskids Journal: Journal of Forest Science Pages: 55-63 Volume: 54 Issue: 2 Year: 2008 DOI: 10.17221/795-JFS File-URL: http://jfs.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/795-JFS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/jfs-200802-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnljfs:v:54:y:2008:i:2:id:795-JFS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: P. Fiala Author-Workplace-Name: Central Institute for Supervising and Testing in Agriculture, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: D. Reininger Author-Workplace-Name: Central Institute for Supervising and Testing in Agriculture, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: T. Samek Author-Workplace-Name: Central Institute for Supervising and Testing in Agriculture, Brno, Czech Republic Title: A survey of forest pollution with heavy metals in the Natural Forest Region (NFR) Moravskoslezské Beskydy with particular attention to Jablunkov Pass Abstract: A survey of forest nutrition was carried out in Natural Forest Region (NFR) No. 40 Moravskoslezské Beskydy. The reason for this survey was the gradually worsening state of forest stands in this region and especially in a part of it - in the Jablunkov Pass. Air pollution was the suspected cause of the unfavourable development. According to methodology established for the survey of forest nutrition, the samples of soil and assimilatory organs were collected at 375 sampling sites. The spatial distinctness of Jablunkov Pass was expressed on the basis of selected soil characteristics (quantity of organic material, exchangeable pH, content of total nitrogen, zinc, lead, chromium, cadmium) and of the contents of chemical elements (total nitrogen, magnesium, zinc, lead, chromium, cadmium) in two-years-old Norway spruce needles. These analyses were done by the software Statistica. The medians of concentrations of elements in two-years-old Norway spruce needles in the area of NFR except Jablunkov Pass are: Zn - 34, Pb - 0.71, Cd - 0.15 and Cr - 0.38 (mg/kg). In the area of Jablunkov Pass: Zn - 43, Pb - 12.1, Cd - 0.25 and Cr - 0.41 (mg/kg). Particular attention was paid to the content of heavy metals both in the whole area of NFR and in the area of Jablunkov Pass particularly. The spatial homogeneity is disturbed by the influence of air pollution there. Markedly higher contents of zinc, lead and cadmium are found in the whole soil profile, in the case of chromium in the forest floor only. The distribution of heavy metal contents in the soil profile is influenced by the quantity and quality of organic matter and by the altitude of sampling sites. The higher values of medians of zinc, lead and cadmium contents are found in the area of the Pass. Chromium is an exception with the highest contents found in the southern part of NFR. The medians of concentrations of elements in the forest floor of Norway spruce stands in the area of NFR except Jablunkov Pass are: Zn - 70.6, Pb - 88.6, Cd - 6.4 and Cr - 0.69 (mg/kg). In the area of Jablunkov Pass: Zn - 103, Pb - 138, Cd - 8.8 and Cr - 1.02 (mg/kg). The spatial distinctness of the area around the Jablunkov Pass is confirmed by the evaluation of the data of forest nutrition survey. Particularly, it consists in the high contents of phytotoxic heavy metals. The exceptionally high pollution of this area can be a cause of the physiological weakness of trees with following attack of the honey fungus. Keywords: Jablunkov Pass, heavy metals, forest nutrition survey, soil pollution Journal: Journal of Forest Science Pages: 64-72 Volume: 54 Issue: 2 Year: 2008 DOI: 10.17221/796-JFS File-URL: http://jfs.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/796-JFS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/jfs-200802-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnljfs:v:54:y:2008:i:2:id:796-JFS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: J. Žáček Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: P. Klč Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Forest transport roads according to natural forest regions in the Czech Republic Abstract: Important parts of the forest sector are forest engineering constructions and capital construction of forest road network which improve the optimal management of forests and forest stands and their reasonable opening by a forest road network. The basic frameworks of forest road network are forest transport roads of various grades and categories. The paper discusses the basic parameters of forest transport roads such as the length of forest transport roads and their density outspread to the area of a particular district above all. The conditions of forest opening in 41 Natural Forest Regions of the Czech Republic and in the Czech Republic as a whole are shown and confronted on the basis of these parameters. A dilemma of the double division of forest transport roads according to the standard ČSN 73 6108 - Lesní dopravní síť (Forest Transportation Network) and according to the methodology used by Forest Management Institute in Brandýs nad Labem is also described in the paper. Although it is not suitable to use two methods of evaluation, there is no tendency to unify it. Keywords: forest transport roads, Natural Forest Regions, forest opening Journal: Journal of Forest Science Pages: 73-83 Volume: 54 Issue: 2 Year: 2008 DOI: 10.17221/799-JFS File-URL: http://jfs.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/799-JFS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/jfs-200802-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnljfs:v:54:y:2008:i:2:id:799-JFS