Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: K. Matějka Author-Workplace-Name: IDS, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: S. Vacek Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: V. Podrázský Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Development of forest soils in the Krkonoše Mts. in the period 1980-2009 Abstract: This paper documents the development of soil conditions in the set of 32 permanent research plots in the Krkonoše (Giant) Mts. These plots represent an altitudinal gradient covering the ecosystems of beech, mixed beech-spruce and spruce stands. In all plots, representing the site conditions of the highest areas of the mountain range, standard soil pits were prepared and the soil sampling was performed in autumn of years 1980, 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2009. The results reflect extreme site conditions, soil acidification, large scale surface liming and in minor extent also different tree species composition of the stands. The general type of the soil-genesis is represented by the podzolisation, overlapping the other soil-genetic factors, including the tree species composition. Nevertheless, this development is mostly expressed in the spruce stands. The beech dominance and/or co-dominance are reflected especially by more efficient N-cycling, higher pH, S and V values and fluctuation and lower extractable Al3+ content. More efficient cycling in beech ecosystems is insignificantly documented for plant available phosphorus, calcium and magnesium contents; on the contrary higher dynamics for iron ions was registered in the spruce stands. The long-term soil dynamics with a hysteresis (evident on the base of ordination analysis) can be divided into some periods - processes of acidification (typical in the 1980's samples), liming (main effect in 1993 and 1998) and regeneration (2003, 2009). Other features, important for the soil development, are probably related to the vegetation change, but this relation is not statistically significant. Keywords: acidification, air pollution, Krkonoše Mts., liming, multidimensional analysis, soil dynamics Journal: Journal of Forest Science Pages: 485-504 Volume: 56 Issue: 11 Year: 2010 DOI: 10.17221/79/2010-JFS File-URL: http://jfs.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/79/2010-JFS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/jfs-201011-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnljfs:v:56:y:2010:i:11:id:79-2010-JFS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: S. Vacek Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: K. Matějka Author-Workplace-Name: IDS, Prague, Czech Republic Title: State and development of phytocenoses on research plots in the Krkonoše Mts. forest stands Abstract: The paper assesses the state and development of phytocenoses in beech, mixed and spruce stands on permanent research plots (PRP) 1-32 in the Krkonoše (Giant) Mts. in the years 1980-2005, i.e. during the air-pollution calamity and afterwards. Dynamics (the extent of change) of the vegetation structure has been expressed as the overall change of species composition in comparison with the year 1980. The change was quantified using the Euclidean distance or as the change of the several first ordination axes (DCA 1-DCA 4). Species composition was significantly changing on all 32 PRP stands in the period 1980-2005; some species completely disappeared (e.g. Cicerbita alpina, Lamium maculatum, Phyteuma spicatum, Viola biflora) or their ratio was reduced (e.g. Blechnum spicant, Dentaria enneaphyllos, Homogyne alpina). From the viewpoint of diversity, the most significant change is the reduction of species in the moss layer, which was observed in all types of stands; in beech and mixed forests the average number of species dropped from 4.8 to 2.7 (44%), in non-declining spruce stands the number fell from 11.6 to 5.5 (53%), and in declining spruce stands it dropped from 10.4 to 3.3 (68%). The overall reduction of species diversity ranged between 31% and 43%; the highest reduction was recorded at species with lower representation. The most significant factors influencing the species composition were altitude and exposition of plot. Keywords: beech, mixed and spruce stands, classification, Krkonoše Mts., ordination, state and development of phytocenoses Journal: Journal of Forest Science Pages: 505-517 Volume: 56 Issue: 11 Year: 2010 DOI: 10.17221/127/2010-JFS File-URL: http://jfs.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/127/2010-JFS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/jfs-201011-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnljfs:v:56:y:2010:i:11:id:127-2010-JFS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: S. Vacek Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Z. Vacek Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: L. Bílek Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: I. Nosková Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: O. Schwarz Author-Workplace-Name: Krkonoše National Park Administration, Vrchlabí, Czech Republic Title: Structure and development of forest stands on permanent research plots in the Krkonoše Mts. Abstract: The research is focused on structure and development of forest stands from 5th to 8th forest vegetation zone in the Krkonoše Mts. The forest stand diversity according to tree species composition and representation, horizontal and vertical structure was evaluated by using following indices: Clark-Evans aggregation index (Clark, Evans 1954), standardised Arten-profil index (Pretsch 2005) and index of complex diversity after Jaehne, Dohrenbusch (1997). Growth model SIBYLA (Fabrika, Ďurský 2005) was used for visualizations and growth predictions of forest stands on particular plots. Based on research results, management recommendations were evaluated. Keywords: forest development, mountain forest, structural diversity Journal: Journal of Forest Science Pages: 518-530 Volume: 56 Issue: 11 Year: 2010 DOI: 10.17221/73/2010-JFS File-URL: http://jfs.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/73/2010-JFS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/jfs-201011-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnljfs:v:56:y:2010:i:11:id:73-2010-JFS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: D. Zahradník Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: S. Vacek Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: L. Bílek Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: I. Nosková Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Z. Vacek Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Horizontal structure of forest stands on permanent research plots in the Krkonoše Mts. and its development Abstract: Horizontal structure on 38 permanent research plots is described for juvenile growth and developmental phases (natural seeding, advance growth, plantations) and tree layer of a parent stand. Hopkins-Skellam index, Pielou-Mountford index, Clark-Evans index and Ripley's K-function were computed. The results are presented separately for beech stands, mixed stands, spruce stands, stands in the timberline ecotone and relict pinewood. The numbers and distribution of natural and combined regeneration recruits are mostly sufficient from the aspect of ecological, environmental and production functions of forest. The horizontal structure of juvenile growth and developmental phases of natural and combined regeneration shows mostly clustering; it is random or moderately regular at places with a single dominant proportion of artificial regeneration. In the tree layer the horizontal structure of forest stands is mostly random to moderately regular. In the future silvicultural measures should be aimed to support the structure of homogeneous stands of younger growth phases that have originated on a large scale after the air-pollution disaster. Keywords: Clark-Evans index, forest stands, Hopkins-Skellam index, horizontal structure, K-function, Krkonoše Mts., Pielou-Mountford index Journal: Journal of Forest Science Pages: 531-540 Volume: 56 Issue: 11 Year: 2010 DOI: 10.17221/126/2010-JFS File-URL: http://jfs.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/126/2010-JFS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/jfs-201011-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnljfs:v:56:y:2010:i:11:id:126-2010-JFS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: S. Vacek Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: I. Nosková Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: L. Bílek Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Z. Vacek Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: O. Schwarz Author-Workplace-Name: Krkonoše National Park Administration, Vrchlabí, Czech Republic Title: Regeneration of forest stands on permanent research plots in the Krkonoše Mts. Abstract: The article describes natural, combined and artificial regeneration on 38 permanent research plots in both Czech and Polish part of the Krkonoše Mts. The attention is paid to species composition, spatial (horizontal and vertical) and age structure of forest regeneration according to different stand and site conditions. Concerning the structure and dynamics of forest stands and their regeneration, the potential and prospects of regeneration according to particular developmental stages and stand types (beech stands; mixed stands: spruce-beech, fir-beech, spruce-fir-beech; spruce stands, stands in the ecotone of the upper forest limit and relict pine woods) were evaluated. In many aspects the plots show several similarities, nevertheless the regeneration in different site and stand conditions show clear differences in dynamics of development. The main differences are result of different ecological conditions, environmental limits and biological characteristics of dominant tree species. Keywords: forest ecosystem, forest regeneration (natural, combined, artificial), Krkonoše Mts., site and stand conditions, structure and development of forest stands Journal: Journal of Forest Science Pages: 541-554 Volume: 56 Issue: 11 Year: 2010 DOI: 10.17221/65/2010-JFS File-URL: http://jfs.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/65/2010-JFS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/jfs-201011-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnljfs:v:56:y:2010:i:11:id:65-2010-JFS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: S. Vacek Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: K. Matějka Author-Workplace-Name: IDS, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Health status of forest stands on permanent research plots in the Krkonoše Mts. Abstract: Damage to beech, mixed (beech with spruce to spruce with beech) and spruce stands in the Krkonoše Mts. is described on the basis of evaluation of transition matrices describing the probability of a change in the assessment of defoliation of particular trees in defoliation classes. The condition and development of health status were evaluated in the long run on PRP 1-32 in the Krkonoše Mts. by foliage and degrees of defoliation. Features describing the health status of the tree crown (damage by snow, frost, wood-decaying fungi, and insects) were also evaluated. Average defoliation, standard deviation of defoliation, estimation of minimum defoliation, and frequency of the tree number in defoliation classes were calculated for each plot, and each year. Three characteristic periods were distinguished according to different trend of foliage dynamics: period of the first symptoms of damage (1976-1980) - a decrease in foliage on average max. by 1% per year, period of great damage (1981-1988) - annual defoliation on average around 3-16%, period of damage abatement (1989-2009) - annual defoliation on average between 0% and 4%. The incomparably higher resistance of autochthonous stands to air pollution stress culminating in the eighties of the last century was demonstrated unambiguously. Keywords: air pollution, beech, mixed and spruce stands, damage, defoliation, health status, Krkonoše Mts., transition matrices Journal: Journal of Forest Science Pages: 555-569 Volume: 56 Issue: 11 Year: 2010 DOI: 10.17221/128/2010-JFS File-URL: http://jfs.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/128/2010-JFS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/jfs-201011-0006.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnljfs:v:56:y:2010:i:11:id:128-2010-JFS