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Complicated case, which after several surgical interventions ended up with an acquired esophageal stricture is presented. The possibility of reflux esophagitis should be kept in mind during postoperative period, especially in primarily troubled patients. An early management of reflux esophagitis could prevent such a condition successfully and help taking full control of a patient after surgery. This report describes etiology of the problem, follows its dynamics, as well as evaluates treatment options suggested in textbook against options available and those finally applied after consulting the owner. Authors try to point out cardial incompetence as one of the most important etiological factors. Despite some early remissions, authors finally succeeded to extend the diameter in the site of the stricture from 5 mm to over 15 mm within seven sessions performed in the period of six months, improving functional outcome.

In the area of southern Poland 33 pine stands growing at the altitudes from 350 to 1,200 m above sea level in the Carpathian and Sudeten Mountains were selected as the object of studies. Thirty-three site chronologies of tree-rings, representing each site were constructed. A decrease in the similarity of dendrochronological signal chronologies occurred with the growing distance between the sites. Correlation and convergence analysis and the Principal Components Analysis permitted the differentiation of two chronology groups: the Western (Sudeten) and the Eastern (Carpathian) ones. On the basis of the site chronologies regional chronologies for the Carpathian and Sudeten Mts. were constructed. The investigated pines from the two regions manifested great sensitivity to winter frost and in summer to the deficiency of heat and water. The chronologies were strongly integrated by the pattern of air temperatures, being differentiated by the pluvial conditions.

The seeding rate of 2 mil viable seeds of mountain brome cv. Tacit (28.1 kg/ha) is sufficient to establish a productive stand. The seeding amount can be decreased in the mixture with legumes. The growing in pure stand or in a simple mixture, e.g. with alfalfa, is appropriate, because of its low competitiveness. Mixtures with red clover were slightly worse, and mixtures with white clovers, resp. other grasses less suitable. The optimal cutting height of mountain brome to 5-8 cm with regard to forage yield and persistence. Although this grass does not have special demands on site, it does not tolerate long-term dampness and floods. It is mainly used as silage grass with high dry matter production potential, with forage of better-than-average nutritive value, which is kept till the stage of early flowering.

The present study documents the effects of green alder [Alnus alnobetula (Ehrh.) C. Koch] on the uppermost forest soil layers in mountain areas, respectively in the summit part of the Jizerské hory Mts. Pedochemical characteristics of holorganic horizons in stands of this species, established in 1992 on a clear-cut caused by air pollution, were compared to the status of soils in stands of bog pine (Pinus rotundata Link.). Extreme site conditions and young age of both stand types resulted in low effects on the humus forms in the first decade. Despite of this, enrichment in total nitrogen content and tendency to acidification due to nitrate leaching were obvious and statistically significant in green alder stands.

Methods were elaborated that would specify factors affecting the accuracy of the output of LANDSAT satellite images used to evaluate the dynamics of changes in the health condition of birch stands. In the period of investigations, in 1994-2000, the foliage of birch stands was very thin as a consequence of the large-scale absence of flushing in 1997. The output of this method is also specification of the degree of foliage of birch trees based on the altitude, stand age and forest site types in the air-polluted area of the Krušné hory Mts. (Northern Bohemia). These methods can be applied to other broadleaved stands.

Salmonella prevalence was assessed in 816 pigs from fifteen herds which were slaughtered in ten slaughterhouses from June 2001 to December 2002. No Salmonellae were isolated in pigs from eight herds in four slaughterhouses. Salmonella prevalence in pigs originating from the other seven herds ranged from 2.0% to 12.0%. The most frequent site of Salmonella isolation was caecum (2.45%). This finding is statistically significant (P < 0.01) as compared to those obtained with mesenteric lymph nodes (0.73%) and carcass swabs (0.12%). Salmonellae were not found in samples from the environments (n = 197). A total of 27 Salmonella isolates were classified into serotypes S. infantis (n = 8), S. typhimurium (n = 5), S. agona (n = 4), S. kaapstad (n = 4), S. derby (n = 3), S. bredeney (n = 2), and S. london (n = 1). All five S. typhimurium DT 104 were resistant to the phenotype ACSSuT. Resistance genes bla_PSE-1, floR, aadA2, sul1, and tetG were identified in all pentaresistant strains. One strain of S. derby was resistant to gentamicin, streptomycin and sulphonamides. The other Salmonella isolates were sensitive to all antibiotics tested.

Differentiation of forest technologies according to ecosystem properties is a necessary step to achieve sustainable forestry. A forest typological system is considered to be the basic unit of ecosystem differentiation in the Czech Republic. Terrain characteristics, potential water erosion and applicable harvest technology were examined for 44 forest sites in a landscape segment of the Jizerské hory Mts. Forest site was found homogeneous in terms of terrain and technological properties. Edaphic category and groups of forest types as higher classification units and management sets as units of alternative classification showed lower homogeneity insufficient for operational planning.

A long-term study carried out within the 1967 All-Poland Larch Provenance Experiment investigated genetic variation in 20 Polish provenances of larch growing under the site conditions of the Beskid Sądecki Mts. (at a test site in Krynica). The study was based on the measurements of tree height made in individual larch populations during 1969-1999, i.e. when trees were 5, 8, 11, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 years old. The results showed a considerable adaptation stability of the provenances tested at the Krynica site. This stability, however, tended to decrease with increasing mean height of trees. An estimation of the effect of the "genotype (provenance) × years of observation (age)" interaction revealed a high stability of height growth in larch populations having extreme values of this trait. As follows from the study, it is possible, especially in the case of the latter group of provenances, to carry out effective selection in the early stage of tree growth, thus ensuring a permanent genetic gain.

Intangible issues, which are often very difficult to be quantified become more and more the field of interest of social sciences. There are many research works demonstrating that various types of knowledge, institutions, social networks, and social relations have a great influence on human activities as for efficient achievement of the actors' goals. This paper relates expert knowledge (shaping professional qualification) to human capital and tacit knowledge (understood as a broader, general, and contextual knowledge) to cultural capital. Both forms of capital exist in their primary form only in concrete individual persons. Concerning collective persons (firm, community), cultural and human capitals are transformed into intellectual capital. Work with specific knowledge, tacit knowledge and capitals corresponding to them shows the role of social networks and social capital in their organization. Using the analysis of two farms based on natural experiment, the paper demonstrates the role of tacit knowledge and cultural capital (opposing to the overestimated role of expert knowledge and human capital). The conclusions outline social determination of both types of knowledge through social networks and social capital needed for an efficient work of a farm.

This study compares the genetic variation in seven cattle breeds from theterritory ofCentralEurope. Eleven polymorphic microsatellite loci were used to detect differences in the polymorphism of genetic markers in Czech Pied (Simmental), Slovakian Pied (Simmental), Slovakian Pinzgau,Holstein, Polish Red, German Red, and Czech Red breeds. For these loci, allele frequencies, heterozygosity, polymorphism information content, effective population size, and genetic distances were evaluated. The phylogenetic tree was constructed using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean and it showed that the Central European Red breeds tended to cluster together, whereas theHolstein was the most divergent from the remaining breeds. These data are discussed in the context of the known origin of respective breeds.

An experimental stand was established as a monoculture by planting Norway spruce on a clear-felled area in 1925. In 1958, a research thinning experiment was established there. Control plots and the study of their development without anthropic interventions are of interest in particular. The spruce monoculture nearly disintegrated and the stand-forming role was taken over by species which occurred there originally as admixed ones. The stand became sparser and it was associated with the spontaneous regeneration of broadleaves. Out of the eight control plots three plots were selected differing significantly in stocking and extent of natural regeneration. The development of regeneration was studied in detail on these plots. The undergrowth consisted of 24 woody species in a total number of 6,000 individuals per hectare and about two thirds of them belonged to trees. The results of the study show a possibility to convert a spruce monoculture to a broadleaved commercial forest using the spontaneous regeneration of trees.

Holorganic layers belong among the key ecosystem components of forest soils at higher altitudes. Increased biological activity of the surface humus is very often observed after forest decline and/or forest cut and removal at these sites. The forest removal or tree layer extinction was studied in the flat, water affected terrain: its effects on the soil chemical characteristics and on the soil respiration, ammonification and nitrification activities. The standard methods of analyses were used. The study proved the increased intensity of nitrification and ammonification in stands with decreased ecological as well as environmental function potentials, further decreased concentrations of magnesium. Due to the concentration effects, the concentrations of some macroelements - nitrogen, calcium - increased in these stands (in the humus form layers), as well as the base content and base saturation.

Cultivars, homozygous sources and lines of pea (Pisum sativum L.) resistant to Erysiphe pisi had recently been attacked by another powdery mildew species, Erysiphe baeumleri, in the field and in glasshouse conditions. Inoculation with E. baeumleri was carried out in the glasshouse to evaluate the level of resistance of 16 pea genotypes. Susceptible pea lines produced abundant conidia and cleistocarps on petioles and leaves. Only the genotype Tudor (Cebeco 4119) was found to be completely resistant to E. baeumleri. Nineteen pea genotypes (with gene er-1) were tested to natural infection by E. baeumleri in field screening trials. Only few of them demonstrated a high level of resistance (Fallon, AC Melfort and Joel). Consort R, SGL 2024, SGL 1977 and Franklin were very susceptible to E. baeumleri. Cleistocarps with 1-4× dichotomously branching apices of appendages were formed only on susceptible and very susceptible plants of genotypes SGL 444/2185, Consort R, SGL 2024, SGL 1977, LU 390-R2, Lifter, Highlight, Cebeco 1171 and Carneval R in the field and glasshouse. Susceptible control genotypes without gene er-1 (Komet, Adept and Gotik) were attacked in the trials by E. pisi only.

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of treated wastewater on soil chemical and physical properties. Field experiment was conducted in Borkhar region in Isfahan province in central Iran with two water treatments of wastewater and groundwater under sprinkler and surface irrigation systems for three crops of sugar beet, corn and sunflower. Soil samples were collected to 120 cm depth to determine concentration of lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn). Irrigation systems had no significant effect on extractable heavy metals in soil. The accumulation of Pb, Mn, Ni and Co in the soil increased significantly in the wastewater treatment as compared to the groundwater treatment. The accumulation of Pb, Mn, Ni, Co, Cu and Zn decreases with the soil depth. Treated wastewater showed no effect on the increase of Fe, Cd, Ni, Cu and Zn during growing season. The irrigation system had a significant effect on infiltration rate, bulk density and total porosity. Under sprinkler irrigation system the infiltration rate increased significantly

The Web of Science database searched results for papers published from the Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czech Republic, were analysed. The Veterinary Research Institute has increased publication activity in 2001-2005; more than 4 times in comparison with the period 1990-2004. The impact factor of journals has increased 5.5 times. The collaboration with 31 foreign countries and 175 institutions resulted in the publication of 277 papers in 93 journals during the past five years. Positioning of the Veterinary Research Institute is now among the worldwide leading teams is evident in twelve research profiles. The Web of Science is an efficient tool for record analysis and researcher's and institution's publication activities.

Green areas and urban forests represent important factors of urbanized environment which attracts more and more attention of forest management and silviculture. Recreational load and its types are the most important driving variable for the management framework in which basic silvicultural methods should be applied. The problem of the required combination of natural and social limits is resolved by a matrix which takes into account forest ecosystem quality and recreation. The matrix defines 9 or 27 units (their number depends on the fact if we take into account the age of stand or not) for which basic management rules could be prepared. The basic rules concerning biological aspects are described in a general way in the article.

European larch (Larix decidua Mill.) is one of the most important tree species in substitute stands of the Krušné hory Mts. (northern part of the Czech Republic). At present, young larch stands have dynamic height growth and their canopy is closing. Therefore, the proper forest treatment with respect to all functions of these stands is an urgent issue. The aim of the study is to recognise when it is possible to start with thinning and what types of thinning regimes are more suitable in larch stands with respect to their functions as substitute tree species stands. Research was conducted on experimental series Kalek established in a larch monoculture in 1999 (stand age of 12 years) at an elevation of 780 m above sea level in the category Piceeto-Fagetum oligo-mesotrophicum - Calamagrostis villosa. The presented analysis has two main parts: (a) effect of closing canopy on growth of larch - comparison of the groups of trees from border and inside rows and (b) effect of opening canopy on growth and development of young larch stands - comparison of two partial plots (500 m² each): the one without thinning and the other with thinning (negative selection mainly from above at the age of 13 years). Comparative analyses of trees from border and inside rows showed high growth dynamics of these young larch stands, and therefore the first thinning is necessary in this stage (by 15 years of age). In spite of air pollution, the growth of experimental stands is supernormal and exceeds the data from growth tables, but 60% of individuals showed some malformations, mostly one-sided or two-sided stem curvature. Five years after the first thinning we found a significantly lower h/d ratio of mean stem on the thinned plot in comparison with the plot without thinning. On the other hand, the applied thinning had no effect (five years after realisation) on the h/d ratio of dominant trees (200 thickest trees per hectare).

The enhanced use of information and communication technologies (ICT) has a strong impact on business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) relationships as well as the way the key business processes are conducted. It can save costs and time, enable businesses to reach a wider market and to respond more quickly to the customer demands. These benefits open up new ways of doing international business. The policy objective is to encourage the integration of e-business into normal business by promoting the take-up of e-business services. Information and communication technologies are necessary to be seen as a tool for the increase of prosperity and competitiveness.

This paper deals with an evaluation of the economics in two commercial plum orchards which were established between 1993-1997 using dense tree-spacing and modern principles of orchard management. This evaluation was conducted in 1994-2004 with the following cultivars: Bluefre, Common Prune, Čačanska lepotica, Čačanska najbolja, Gabrovska, Hamanova, Opal, President, Ruth Gerstetter,Stanley, and Valjevka. Orchard establishment costs, pruning costs, annual orchard operating and pest management costs and returns up to 11 years of growth are given. A denser planting had a positive influence on total yields per hectare with higher returns. Costs per ton of fruit mostly varied between 4 and 7 thousand CZK, whereas farmer prices fluctuated between 7.6 to 13.6 thousand CZK per ton. The highest returns after seven years of growth from one hectare were exhibited by the cultivar President on rootstock St. Julien A in the spacing 4 × 2.5 m followed by the cultivar Stanley on rootstock Myrobalan and the same spacing.

Dokumenty týkajúce sa regulácie hospodárenia v lesoch sa prakticky až dodnes považovali za materiály, týkajúce sa skoro výlučne len jednotlivých odborných rezortov. Na základe Vyhlášky Ministerstva financií SR č. 465/1991 ich možno efektívne využívať aj v rámci rezortov financií a spravodlivosti. Ďalšie významné medzirezortné využitie týchto dokumentov vyplýva zo Zákona č. 127/1994 o posudzovaní environmentálneho dopadu. Cieľom práce je demonštrovať proces posudzovania na konkrétnom príklade - ploche patriacej do lesného pozemkového fondu. Okrem máp, výsledkov pozorovania, slovných popisov a súborov numerických údajov, týkajúcich sa jednotlivých porastov, obsahujú tieto dokumenty aj kódované údaje, ktoré pre väčšinu užívateľov nie sú zrozumiteľné bez využitia dekódovacích kľúčov. A práve tieto posledné údaje majú pri vyhodnocovaní environmentálneho dopadu najvyššiu výpovednú hodnotu. Po nadobudnutí platnosti pripravovaného zákona (vyhlášky) o strate vlastníctva, vyplývajúcej z prohibitívnych a ďalších podmienok v lesnom hospodárstve v súvislosti s presadzovaním verejno-prospešného záujmu (Kundrík et al. 1999), významne vzrastie dôležitosť využitia finálnych dokumentov týkajúcich sa regulácie hospodárenia v lesoch SR.

Norway spruce yellowing and defoliation caused by Mg deficiency was frequently recorded on many sites of the Šumava Mts. (Bohemian Forest Mts.) since 1980's. A forest experiment aimed at investigation response of spruce to Mg application (commercial fertilizer SILVAMIX^® Mg NPK) was set up in 1998. Fertilizer was applied manually in a dose of 96.5 kg Mg/ha in spruce (S) and beech-spruce (BS) vegetation altitudinal zones in spring 2000. Immediate decrease of yellowing was revealed in fertilized plots in both vegetation zones and yellowing almost completely disappeared at the end of the investigation in 2005. Further, fertilization resulted in stabile foliation while marked defoliation was reported from control plots in both vegetation zones. Mg deficiency can be effectively eliminated by appropriate fertilizer application. Balanced nutrition contributes to long-term vigour and stability of forest stands.

Haemophilus parasuis is a common epiphyte of the upper respiratory tract of pigs. The factors of H. parasuis pathogenicity that enable some strains to be virulent and consequently cause a clinical disease have not been established yet. Fifteen serovars of H. parasuis have been described at present. Individual serovars differ in virulence, and considerable differences in virulence also exist within each serovar. Virulent strains can particularly participate as microorganisms secondary to pneumonia, cause septicaemia without polyserositis or Glässer's disease characterized by polyserositis, pericarditis, arthritis and meningitis. Clinical symptoms of this disease are highly variable. Therefore, culture detection of causative agent, particularly from the brain, joints and polyserositis is an essential diagnostic tool. The disease caused by H. parasuis can be treated with antibiotics; however, oral or parenteral administration of very high doses of antibiotics is necessary. The level of animal hygiene and animal husbandry are important factors for prevention of this disease. Commercial or autogenous vaccines can be used in the immunoprophylaxis of pre-parturient sows and their progeny after weaning. For the production of autogenous vaccines, it is most effective to use isolates from animals with lesions present in CNS. Isolates recovered from arthritic and systemic sites of infection are less suitable and isolates recovered from lungs are not suitable at all because of their heterogeneity.

In 2001-2005, the effects of game on the condition and development of natural regeneration of a floodplain forest were studied in three permanent transects in the Vrapač National Nature Reserve (NNR). Fraxinus excelsior, Acer pseudoplatanus, Acer campestre and Acer platanoides predominated in the regeneration. The species were markedly damaged by roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and fallow deer (Dama dama) browsing, the most affected being Acer pseudoplatanus. In spite of always newly occurring trees from self-seeding, the abundance of trees decreased during the studied period, self-seeding did not grow up from a height of 30-40 cm, the proportion of Acer pseudoplatanus decreased and that of Fraxinus excelsior increased. In addition to browsing, in 2003 and 2005 browsing damage to bark was noted in some places and in 2005 also the breaking of trees with subsequent browsing of terminal shoots, the causal agent of both types of damage being fallow deer. The development of natural regeneration is limited in principle by trophic preferences of game and by the tolerance of particular species to repeated damage. On the basis of these conditions it is necessary to consider the present game stock to be contradictory with objectives of area protection and preservation.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is the most often reported attribute and is chosen as the most important indicator of soil quality and agricultural sustainability. In this review, we summarized how cultivation, crop rotation, residue and tillage management, fertilization and monoculture affect soil quality, soil organic matter (SOM) and carbon transformation. The results confirm that SOM is not only a source of carbon but also a sink for carbon sequestration. Cultivation and tillage can reduce soil SOC content and lead to soil deterioration. Tillage practices have a major effect on distribution of C and N, and the rates of organic matter decomposition and N mineralization. Proper adoption of crop rotation can increase or maintain the quantity and quality of soil organic matter, and improve soil chemical and physical properties. Adequate application of fertilizers combined with farmyard manure could increase soil nutrients, and SOC content. Manure or crop residue alone may not be adequate to maintain SOC levels. Crop types influence SOC and soil function in continuous monoculture systems. SOC can be best preserved by rotation with reduced tillage frequency and with additions of chemical fertilizers and manure. Knowledge and assessment of changes (positive or negative) in SOC status with time is still needed to evaluate the impact of different management practices.

The effect of the length and intensity of feed restriction on carcass quality characteristics was studied in two experiments. In the first experiment rabbits were restricted 1 or 3 weeks. Group 1 was fed ad libitum, group 2 was restricted from 35 to 42 days of age (50 g per day/rabbit), group 3 was restricted from 42 to 49 days of age (65 g per day/rabbit), group 4 was restricted from 56 to 63 days of age (90 g per day/rabbit) and group 5 was restricted three weeks, from 35 to 42 days of age (50 g per day/rabbit), 42 to 49 days of age (65 g per day/rabbit) and from 56 to 63 days of age (90 g per day/rabbit). Rabbits were slaughtered at the age of 84 days. In the second experiment the rabbits were restricted between 42 and 56 days of age and the rabbits were divided into three groups. Group 1 was fed ad libitum, the rabbits in group 2 got 50 g of feed at the age of 42 to 49 days and 65 g of feed at the age of 49 to 56 days and in group 3, 50 g and 75 g of feed in the two periods, respectively. Carcass characteristics were evaluated at the age of 49, 56, 63 and 84 days. Restriction did not affect dressing percentage but reduced the weight of loin. Renal fat was detected in restricted rabbits at the age of 63 days whereas in the ad libitum fed ones at 56 days. Renal fat was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) reduced in rabbits restricted from 56 days of age (experiment 1, 19.71 g, 19.28 g, 26 g vs. 14.33 g and 11.43 g). Kidney and liver weight was influenced by the restriction and realimentation period. The meat colour and pH (measured 24 h post mortem) were not affected by treatments.

The main aim of this article is to evaluate the possibility of forage yield maps creating based on mowing machine's conditioner power input measurement. Strong spatial dependence was observed for conditioner power input data. For the data file from material feed rate measurement the medium spatial dependence was calculated. Relatively low value of variograms range is possible to explain by the type of chosen exponential model. Visual displaying of data distribution is done by the maps. These maps were plotted under kriging method. It is possible to observe distributions of higher and smaller values of conditioner power input and material feed rate measurement by this way. Plotted maps are shown in Figures. The correlation coefficients were calculated 0.419 for filtered data. It follows from this evaluation that conditioner power input measurement can be used for the determination of mowing machine material feed rate.

In case that the climatic or farming conditions have changed in a region, it is possible to anticipate that the core parameters of drainage constructions will not be adequate for the current needs. Some of these constructions might be over-dimensioned, which would be inconsistent with current terms of nature and water resources protection. On the other hand, the valuable contribution the regulation of the water regime of originally waterlogged lands and swamps indisputably brought along and thus enabled the agricultural use of drained lands would be depreciated to a certain extent. In this paper, some scenarios of probable climatic changes in the Czech Republic's territory and the anticipated effect of these changes on the components of the hydrologic water discharge from drained agricultural and forest catchments are studied. The function of drainage systems on selected experimental lands is examined. However, not only probable changes in precipitation, temperature and water runoff should be taken into account, but also changes in the way of farming, i.e. changes in the agricultural conditions and data that played a decisive role in the calculation of the basic parameters of these construction projects, for instance, the spacing of parallel drains or trenches or the depth of their laying. In the Czech Republic about 1.1 million ha of total agricultural land was drained by the end of the twentieth century. In some localities of Eastern and Southern Bohemia up to 80% of agricultural land was drained. To what extent the above-mentioned climatic changes and the changes in the way of farming influence the drainage system and whether adjustments of these systems are required are the questions we tried to answer at least partly in this contribution. The effect of climatic changes on the hydrologic balance and/or on the runoff from the catchments significantly varies up to ± 150% provided that we compare average runoff. The influence of changes in the way of farming on the hydrologic balance manifests itself in a more concrete, but negative way, and that demands a concrete reaction on the part of the water management control. It is therefore vital to take such measures of regulation of the water regime of soil for the existing drainage systems that will ensure both the drainage phase and the phase of runoff retardation. Single-function and obsolete drainage systems should be converted into systems with controlled drainage and irrigation functions - the double-function control systems.

Twenty seven Pasteurella multocida rabbit isolates were characterised by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) generated by restriction endonuclease ApaI, and examined for the presence of capsule and fimbriae, and tested of haemolytic activity and endotoxin release in presence of rabbit plasma. Among the isolates a high number (n = 20) of different PFGE types was observed. All isolates were found to be encapsulated and four of them also possessed fimbriae. Although the presence of the aphA gene, conferring a haemolytic phenotype for Escherichia coli under anaerobic conditions, was indicated in all of the isolates by PCR, clear haemolytic activity was observed in only one isolate when grown anaerobically. All of the isolates grew easily in the presence of rabbit plasma which showed a high capacity to bind the released endotoxin.

Frost cracks which originated in birch due to bending during long-term icing in winter 1995/1996 became the place of entrance for the attack of birch stems by Piptoporus betulinus (Bull. ex Fr.) Karst. and subsequently for one of the causes of birch stand disintegration in the Krušné hory Mts. The hypothesis is substantiated on the basis of regularities of the frost crack dispersion in the stem profile, frequency of occurrence related to the stand age, altitude and cardinal points. The number of frost cracks increased with the transect profile altitude 700-850 m. One crack on the birch stem predominated (73%) while the higher number of frost cracks occurred at altitudes > 800 m. In stands younger than 20 years, frost crack damage was higher (34-47%) than in older stands (14%). Frost cracks occurred in the lower part of stems with the highest bending stress.