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Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 on deforestation-free products (EUDR) establishes a substantially revised legal framework that extends beyond the previous EU Timber Regulation (EUTR 995/2010) by integrating legality, sustainability, and traceability obligations. This article provides a legal and comparative assessment of the implications of the EUDR for the Czech forestry and timber sector. The methodological approach combines doctrinal interpretation of EU legislation, comparative analysis of national implementation models, and an examination of relevant case law. Experiences from selected EU Member States are used to illustrate institutional, technological, and administrative challenges linked to EUDR implementation. The results indicate that, although the Czech Republic has an established regulatory framework under Act No. 251/2025 Coll., effective compliance with the EUDR will require improved coordination among supervisory authorities and the development of a unified digital platform for submitting and verifying due diligence declarations. Evidence from other European countries shows that integrated monitoring systems and the use of third-party certification can enhance both efficiency and transparency. The study concludes that the successful implementation of the EUDR in the Czech context will depend on institutional capacity, digital readiness, and the ability of forest managers and traders to adapt to more stringent environmental and traceability requirements.

The forest sector development in Uruguay has been based on planted forest areas, mainly with eucalyptus and pine. The Parliament passed the Forestry Law in 1987 and since then the sector has been growing rapidly. The objective of the study is to analyse the contribution of the forest sector in the Uruguayan economy, its evolution between 1997 and 2018 and its distribution in recent years. The research used information from the new National Accounts released by the Central Bank of Uruguay, and, in this framework, the forest sector is studied for the main macroeconomic variables and production. The results show that in the period 1997-2018, while the Uruguayan economy grew 2.6% in constant terms, on average, the forest sector grew 7.6% on average, with peaks in 2007-2008 and 2013-2015. In 2016, the forest production was allocated to exports (46.76%), which surpassed intermediate use (43.05%) after initial operations of the second pulp mill in the country. Furthermore, forest exports represented 10.5% of the country's total exports of goods and services, showing an exporter profile.

The introduction of non-native tree species is considered a potential adaptation strategy to global climate change (GCC) in the forestry sector. As some of the most widespread native species are undergoing stand disintegration due to both abiotic and biotic stressors, the search for alternative species becomes essential. These species can overwhelm native species with both production potential and adaptation to a changing climate. The research focused on climate-growth relationships of two introduced species of the Cupressaceae family, western redcedar (Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don) and Lawson's cypress [Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (A. Murray) Parl.], in comparison with the native Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in the northeast part of the Czech Republic. The constructed tree ring chronologies were used as a basis for dendroclimatological analyses: basal area increment (BAI), linear growth trends, Pearson's correlations between climate variables and growth, resilience indices and others. Among the analysed species, Thuja plicata revealed the highest BAI and the most positive growth trend in the last 35 years, with values 2–3 times higher. The Chamaecyparis lawsoniana exhibited the highest negative correlation with mean summer temperatures. In general, Pinus sylvestris showed the highest correlations with precipitation. No clear pattern in resilience indices has been observed. Among the two introduced tree species examined, Thuja plicata emerges as a particularly promising candidate for future application in Central European conditions under ongoing GCC.

The forest bioeconomy links to a climate-neutral economy for which effective economic and financial promotion is essential to sustainable development. The main purpose of this study was to examine the effects of financial support on the development of the forest bioeconomy in the Czech Republic in the period 2000–2021. Research objectives were met by applying literature review, time series analysis, spatial data analysis, cartogram and cartodiagram method, correlation analysis, and regression analysis. Firstly, regional divergences in financial flows were observed. Owing to the bark beetle calamity, the peak of the financial support was detected in the Vysočina Region (CZK 4 658/EUR 190 per ha), and the Olomouc Region (CZK 2 780/EUR 113 per ha) in 2020. An upward trend – more than 6-fold growth of financial flows to forestry was found. Secondly, the forest carbon model was discovered and tested. Financial contribution for reforestation, establishment, and tending of forest stands increases net carbon sinks while financial contribution for green and environmentally friendly technologies increases net carbon sources. Regional carbon reservoirs offer the potential to contribute to climate targets and achieve sustainable progress.

Increasing the proportion of broadleaved trees in stands during regeneration raises questions about how these trees will be reflected in the economics of forest owners and whether these owners can influence certain economic aspects during stand management. In this respect, the paper focuses mainly on the revenue side of forestry and, crucially, analyses the selling prices of assortments of tree species groups as offered in public tenders of state forests under the outsourcing business model. The price level of spruce is used as a benchmark for comparisons in the analyses. It is clear that the cultivation of species-diverse forests entails an increase in the representation of a higher number of tree species and, presumably, increased stand stability. However, a concomitant consequence may be an increase in costs and a reduction in returns for forest owners. Here, the revenue from timber sales can be improved by appropriate adjustment of the species composition through educational interventions. All this is in the context of the economic viability of forestry, as declared in a number of strategic and forest policy documents, which essentially depends on the timber production function of forestry and the subsequent processing of timber.

Disturbance regimes in Central European mountain forests are changing under the ongoing climate change, raising questions about how protected areas should respond to increasingly frequent windthrow and bark beetle outbreaks. In Tatra National Park, a major windstorm in 2004 triggered a landscape-scale bark beetle eruption that challenged long-standing expectations that non-intervention alone could safeguard forest ecosystems. Using the Socio-Ecological Systems framework, we combined long-term field observations with archival sources and stakeholder interviews to examine how ecological dynamics, governance structures, and actor perspectives interacted during and after the outbreak. We show that warming, abundant post-storm breeding substrate, and legacy Norwegian spruce (Picea abies) monocultures reduced forest resilience and enabled successive beetle waves. Governance fragmentation led to delayed decision-making, allowing large volumes of wind-felled timber to remain untreated and facilitating its spread into high-naturalness stands. In contrast, evidence from other European countries suggests that timely, spatially focused measures can reduce outbreak duration without compromising conservation values. Our results indicate that in disturbance-prone, spruce-dominated forest systems experiencing climate change, a combination of strict protection in core areas and timely, selective measures in adjacent zones is more likely to maintain resilience and support conservation outcomes than strictly passive or fully interventionist approaches.

Coppice is the oldest form of systematic and sustainable use of forests, and is currently applied on about 29 million ha (about 14% of total forest land area) in Europe. It had its maximum spread in the 16^th century, when an estimated 36% of all forested land in Europe was managed for coppice. Coppice forests were the most important source of fuelwood until the mid-19^th century, when firewood and charcoal were substituted by alternative fuels, and the demand for construction wood increased. Consequently, coppices (both low and coppice-with-standards) started to be converted to high forests, and the process was driven by national policies and/or subsidies, which is still the situation in some European countries. During the 20^th century, coppicing was abandoned in many places across Europe due to the abandonment of the countryside and population migration into cities, as well as changes in socio-economic conditions, technical advances and political restrictions. However, coppicing is still important in many European countries as the main source of firewood for the rural population, who has limited access to other sources of energy. In this context, this paper presents the most important characteristics of this complex abandonment/management/conversion picture, emphasising the pros and cons for the future of coppices across Europe.

This study analyses the professional interests and motivations of people regarding forestry careers. An online survey (N = 162) was conducted in May 2025. The study identifies the profile of a typical forestry candidate as an individual from a rural area, regardless of gender, who prioritises job security and personal satisfaction over high financial reward. The findings confirm that while forestry students show the strongest interest, intrinsic motivation and a personal relationship with nature are the primary drivers across the board. The key results indicate that practical field experience and communication with professionals significantly bolster career interest. Furthermore, the emerging generation of foresters demonstrates an 'ecologically realistic' perspective, favouring sustainable management and biocentric values over traditional paradigms. The study suggests that to combat the declining workforce, forestry communication should leverage these intrinsic values and increase practical engagement during university studies. Respondents assigned the greatest importance to statements reflecting biocentric and ecocentric values, emphasising the intrinsic value of forests, ecosystem impact considerations, and their role in environmental balance and human well-being.

This study evaluated the phytotoxic potential of ground-level ozone (O₃) on native forest tree species at eight intensive forest monitoring plots in the Czech Republic. O₃ risk was assessed using the exposure-based AOT40F (accumulated O₃ concentration above 40 ppb for forest protection) and the flux-based POD₁ (phytotoxic ozone dose above a flux threshold of 1 nmol O₃ m⁻²⋅s⁻¹ per leaf area) indices, together with data on visible foliar O₃ injury. The analysis was based on data from the 2021–2023 vegetation seasons. AOT40F exceeded the critical level of 5 ppm·h at all plots. The critical levels of POD₁ (5.2 mmol·m⁻² for Fagus sylvatica and 9.2 mmol·m⁻² for Picea abies) were exceeded at all sites in all seasons, except for one plot in 2022. Exceedance of POD₁ generally occurred earlier than that of AOT40F for F. sylvatica, while for P. abies it occurred later in the season. POD₁ showed a significant positive relationship with altitude, but AOT40F did not. Air temperature, soil moisture, and the O₃ concentration were identified as the main predictors of stomatal O₃ flux. Visible O₃ injury was absent in P. abies and limited in F. sylvatica, with a weak relationship to the O₃ metrics. The results emphasise the greater relevance of flux-based approaches for O₃ risk assessment and indicate that visible foliar O₃ injury alone provides only a limited indicator of O₃ impacts under Czech conditions.

This study evaluates the approach to public communication within economic entities managing ecclesiastical forest properties. Following the extensive property restitutions in the Czech Republic after 2012, forests owned by the church and religious societies now account for more than 5% of the country's total forest area. The communication practices of these entities were assessed through a questionnaire survey of 221 respondents (comprising forest visitors as part of a general sample), nine in-depth interviews with employees, and, in addition, a detailed analysis of communication methods used by five selected forestry subjects. The results indicate that the general public does not expect a specialised communication approach despite the ecclesiastical nature of the property. Furthermore, foresters themselves do not perceive the need for a specific philosophy or approach based on church principles in their professional activities. No specialised communication strategies exist for church-owned forest properties, and employees are neither familiar with nor utilise Pope Francis's 2015 encyclical, Laudato si'.

This study analyses the bark beetle species spectrum (Scolytinae) in supranational migration across the Czech Republic (2020–2025) using a Johnson-Taylor suction trap network. Out of 2 129 identified individuals (45 species), Pityogenes chalcographus (Linnaeus, 1761) and Crypturgus cinereus (Herbst, 1793) were dominant, with their 2021 outbreak temporarily altering the community's proportional abundance. Ecological indices (H', J') confirmed an acute internal asymmetry caused by massive pest flights. The findings support the dispersal flight phenomenon, where individual scattering into vast air volumes explains the high proportion of sub-recedent species without compromising the representative value of the samples. The proven efficacy of suction traps for invasive species detection led to their official integration into the Czech national phytosanitary surveillance system.

Currently, it is difficult to identify correct data on wood sources and their consumption in the Czech Republic. Official statistics of wood production are relatively limited to obtaining data that accurately captures the objective wood production, which would enable the observation of the direction or consumption of particular tree species or products. This uncertainty is then transferred to the wood flow for industrial and energy processing, and it is not possible to compose a detailed picture of how much wood and which sources enter into the wood processing and how large the total material flow is. The aim of this paper is to present an option for how to determine this lack of valid information that enables clear outcomes necessary for decision making by means of the recalculation of wood sources consumed in the Czech Republic, using the data of processing capacities and foreign trade. The reverse model better expressed a conversion value of roundwood into the products and allowed optimal approximation in the wood sources assessment.

Construction sector has high environmental impact throughout entire life cycle of buildings. One way to reduce the impact is to use building materials with the lowest possible environmental impact – such as wood. The use of wood-based building materials can improve the overall environmental balance of buildings. Compared to other materials, wood probably has the best environmental performance. These findings are particularly significant in the context of the environmental and legislative situation in Europe and the Czech Republic and may be one of the reasons for the increasing number of new wood-based buildings. The main reason for the research is to highlight the potential of wood as an ecological renewable material with multiple applications in all sectors of the national economy, especially in the construction industry. This paper aims to deepen the knowledge of the environmental specifications of building materials, especially wood, highlight its benefits and verify that building with natural and eco-friendly materials is less costly with lower environmental impacts. To illustrate the environmental impact of the construction industry, a case study comparing house variants was conducted to find the most suitable combinations of materials in terms of economic, environmental, and social aspects. It was found that from a sustainable development perspective, building with green materials generally means lower environmental impacts measured by e.g. global warming potential and embodied energy. This is particularly evident in the case of wood, which is not only a renewable material with advantageous thermo-technical and construction properties despite its low weight, but also stores carbon as it grows. The findings show that wood in the structure can reduce the cumulative environmental impact of the whole structure.

Economic viability of sustainable forest management has been included in particular forestry strategic documents since 2003. In these documents, it is stated, among other things, that economic viability is a key pillar of sustainable forest management and is of conclusive significance in preserving forests and their multiple benefits for the society. At the same time - the economic viability of sustainable forest management depends essentially on wood-producing functions of forestry. The paper aims at an identification of this key concept and at a situation analysis of economic viability under current conditions of the forestry and wood sector in the Czech Republic with a special focus on the wood-processing industry as part of the forestry and wood sector using a financial analysis.

This review uses a case study based on an executed afforestation project to comprehensively describe the administrative procedure regarding afforestation of agricultural land in the Czech Republic, Central Europe. We consider the official proceedings for obtaining a permit to land-use change (i.e. changing the nature of land use and the mode of land use in the real estate cadastre) as a very complex and protracted procedure, which can substantially reduce the motivation of people to establish new forests. Therefore, we propose a simplification of the administration process of land-use change. The main idea is to make the procedure as simple as possible in those areas where afforestation is desirable, especially from the environmental point of view. It assumes the possibility of quick, precise and, if possible, automatic distinction whether the afforestation is suitable or not. The situation in the Czech Republic is compared with the surrounding Central-European countries: Poland and Slovakia. In these countries, the official procedure connected with afforestation seems to be rather less complicated.

Pioneer tree species in the Czech Republic include birch, alder and aspen. From an economic point of view, birch seems to be the most promising. Greater use of timber from pioneer tree species in higher value-added products is currently limited by the low stocks of birch, alder and aspen in forest stands. A price survey was carried out in the Western Highlands region in the central part of the Czech Republic to obtain basic information on the prices of assortments of pioneer tree species. The prices of five assortments of raw timber were surveyed for the period 2019–2023. Very few of the prices of pioneer tree species were found for assortments of II and IIIC; these assortments are not actually produced and, therefore, not traded by the respondents. For the roundwood assortments (quality II, IIIAB), it cannot be clearly stated that any of the preparatory timber species (birch, alder, aspen) always achieved a higher price during the observed period. Only in 2023 was it possible to see higher prices for quality IIIAB assortments of alder. Birch of quality V had the highest price of the observed prices for this timber assortment for the pioneer tree species during the period under review. When using a system approach, considering the information on the prices of the timber assortments is also important for deciding on the optimal species composition of the regenerating forest stands. In the case of the Czech Republic's commercial tree species, this information is available at the national level. However, the situation is quite the opposite for the timber assortments of pioneer tree species, where information on their prices is completely lacking. This confirms the fact that the market for assortments of timber from pioneer tree species in the Czech Republic is basically non-existent, the main reason being the low volume of these assortments placed on the market.

The study aims to identify the difference between the current and future strategic management of forest ecosystem services (FES) portfolios in public enterprises of Slovakia. The case studies focus on forest enterprises in Košice, Banská Štiavnica, Kremnica, and Bratislava, representing the best practice examples of providing cultural services in the country. A marketing decision-making model, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) matrix, was used to analyse each company's current FES portfolio. Content analysis assessed the data collected from interviews with managers of the public forest enterprises. Duncker's forest management approaches classification was applied to evaluate the future strategic management of the FES portfolio, and a horizon of 10 years was set. According to the results, the urban forest enterprise in Bratislava is an example of receiving a subsidy from the capital for building and reconstructing recreational facilities. Therefore, this FES portfolio is and will be the most balanced. The portfolio of the forest enterprises in Košice, Kremnica, and Banská Štiavnica will remain unchanged for the next decade, and they plan to use a combination management approach that caters to economic, ecological, and social needs and objectives. Urban forests in Bratislava will focus even more on close-to-nature forestry.

Green growth promotes sustainable economic development by protecting the environment and efficiently using natural resources. Supporting green growth enhances long-term sustainability, quality of life, and climate change mitigation. This article aims to propose a conceptual framework for implementing green growth indicators in Slovakia by comparing their perception with that of the Czech Republic. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 3 281 Slovak and Czech forestry enterprises [Nomenclature of Economic Activities (NACE) classification 02.10], with 1 365 responses. The findings highlight significant differences in the approach to green growth indicators between small and large enterprises and between state and non-state enterprises. Additionally, the study examines how Slovakia and the Czech Republic manage these indicators, forming the basis for a conceptual framework for their implementation in Slovakia. The research contributes to the discourse on green growth and sustainability, key concepts in the 21^st century.

This study investigates differences in carbon storage between managed and unmanaged forests in the growth conditions of Central Europe. Norway spruce (Picea abies), European beech (Fagus sylvatica) and pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) dominated forest types were considered, as these are the most common forest species in the Czech Republic. Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), as the second most common species, was excluded due to lacking relevant reference data on unmanaged forests. Managed and unmanaged variants of each forest type were assessed in terms of carbon sequestered in biomass, dead wood and harvested wood products (in the managed variant). Harvested wood products yielded during two rotation periods were considered, including their substitution effect as well as respiratory losses, to fully assess their contribution to carbon balance. Average carbon storage in the above-ground biomass and deadwood was lower in the managed forest compared to the unmanaged forest in comparable growth conditions. However, this difference is in our model examples compensated by carbon stored in the harvested wood products including their substitution effect in the managed forests of Norway spruce and pedunculate oak. Contrarily, managed European beech forests showed, in our case, slightly lower carbon storage compared to the unmanaged alternative. The estimates for all species are considered to be rather conservative due to the assumed factors affecting the results. Due to generally limited comparative data on unmanaged forests in the region, the results should be interpreted with caution.

The aim of this work was to study the use of different types of wood products by the G20 countries. In the current scenario, every country is concerned about the severe exploitation of forests and the ensuing lack of markets for timber. Production and consumption of wood and wood products by the G20 countries account for 85% of global GDP and two-thirds of the world's population. Data for the study includes eight major categories of wood products in the G20 countries from 2004 to 2021: industrial raw wood, sawlogs and veneer logs, sawn wood, wood fuel, wood-based panels, paper and paperboard, pulp for paper, wood pellets, and other agglomerates. Autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models were used to predict the production, export, and import behaviour of wood and wood products from 2022 to 2030. According to the findings, the G20 countries would consume 1 644.6 million m³ of industrial raw wood in 2030, followed by 984.8 million m³ of sawlogs and veneer logs, 454.7 million m³ of sawn wood, 882.5 million m³ of wood fuel, 406.2 million t of paper and paperboard, 199.4 million t of pulp for paper, and 51.7 million t of wood pellets and other agglomerates. This study provides decision-makers with an analysis of the production and consumption of wood product markets in the G20 countries, which can be used for policy decisions.

Understanding society's demand for forest ecosystem services (FES) is crucial for effective forest management and the development of supportive instruments, such as payments for ecosystem services (PES). This study surveyed visitors at 'Forestry Days 2024' in Slovakia through face-to-face questionnaires, capturing their views on FES and necessary management changes. Results show that regulating services and biodiversity are prioritised over cultural and provisioning FES. Respondents indicated a clear need for changes in forest management to reflect their FES preferences. Notably, perceptions of specific FES varied by gender, age, forestry background, and forest ownership but not by residence type. Public PES were considered the most acceptable policy for enhancing FES management, providing valuable insight for aligning public preferences with sustainable practices in Slovakia.

The forest certification is a voluntary programme to ensure that the timber harvested from forests is processed in a sustainable manner by following specific standards. The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) was introduced in 1999 using the bottom-up approach, and it gives flexibility for a country to set up their own PEFC standard based on current practices in sustainable forest management (SFM), regulation, and governance. This practice has led to the development of various PEFC standards for each country; thus, the impact of PEFC certification differs from country to country. In accordance with that, this study aimed to evaluate the PEFC standard application in developed and developing countries, namely in Sweden and Malaysia. The study also analysed the impact of forest certification on governance and economic aspects within Asia Pacific and Europe. The outcome of this study indicates that the PEFC standards developed by these countries showed similarities; for example, both countries are focusing on social and environmental requirements. Meanwhile, the differences were shown in the criteria, terms used, and the focus area. The impact analysis exhibited that countries are facing similar issues, especially market access and premium prices. This study revealed that each country develops different standards based on current practices, forest diversification, and regulations.

This paper analyses the accounting and tax treatment of forests as biological assets in the Czech Republic under Act No. 563/1991 Coll., on Accounting, and its implementing regulations. It compares national approaches with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), focusing on the International Accounting Standard IAS 41 – Agriculture. A comparative-analytical method was used to identify key differences in classification, valuation, and reporting practices. Czech legislation values forests at historical cost and classifies them as non-depreciable land, whereas IFRS requires fair value measurement, capturing biological transformation and the economic potential of forest ecosystems. The findings show that while the Czech framework ensures legal clarity and tax alignment, it lacks integration with environmental accounting frameworks such as the United Nations System of Integrated Environmental Economic Accounts (SEEA) and does not reflect ecosystem services or ESG (environmental, social, governance) reporting needs. In contrast, IFRS provides a dynamic representation of forest assets, supporting transparency and comparability in international contexts. The study contributes to the ongoing harmonisation debate by offering recommendations to improve the alignment of Czech accounting with international standards, thus supporting sustainable forest management and enhancing investment credibility. Its originality lies in combining legislative analysis with international practice review, highlighting the gap between ecological value and financial reporting in forestry.

The sustainable management of European forest ecosystems necessitates innovative mechanisation solutions to address operational challenges in hilly, mountainous, and ecologically sensitive terrains. Hybrid-drive unmanned vehicles (HDUVs) present a transformative potential by integrating fuel-electric powertrains with autonomous navigation systems, enabling energy-efficient operations with minimal environmental impact. This review synthesises and critically analyses advancements in three critical domains: (i) dynamic modelling and chassis design for enhanced terrain adaptability, (ii) hybrid powertrain optimisation for reduced emissions and extended operational range, and (iii) the integration of unmanned systems for precision forestry tasks. By examining multi-body dynamics, power management strategies, and AI-driven navigation algorithms, we elucidate the role of HDUVs in improving operational efficiency while mitigating soil disturbance and carbon footprint. The review identifies prevailing research gaps and suggests that future work should prioritise the development of standardised testing protocols and foster cross-disciplinary collaboration to align HDUV development with EU biodiversity and climate objectives.

This article presents a doctrinal legal analysis of judicial practice concerning criminal tax offences in the Czech timber trade, with a primary focus on VAT fraud. Court decisions were examined thematically to identify key categories of fraud schemes, recurring evidentiary challenges, and patterns of judicial reasoning. Administrative and regulatory frameworks, such as the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), have played only a marginal role in Czech judicial practice, with a single decision explicitly referring to the EUTR. The findings highlight how courts rely on indicators such as fictitious supply chains, economically irrational transactions, and incomplete documentation to establish fraudulent intent. The study contributes to a better understanding of judicial reasoning in tax fraud cases and offers evidence-based recommendations for strengthening enforcement practice. The article focuses on Criminal Tax Law, i.e. examples of tax fraud in the timber trade that were not dealt with by the tax authorities as administrative offences but were assessed as criminal tax offences falling within the jurisdiction of criminal courts. Criminal Tax Law is a subfield of Czech Tax Law dealing with criminal activity in the area of tax and fee administration. (Lichnovský et al. 2020). The article contains all court decisions in the field of Criminal Tax Law dealing with the issue of timber trade. The article deals only with the criminal law aspects of tax law. No other court decisions were found in the Automated Legal Information System (ASPI). The ASPI legal information system contains only one court decision relating to the EUTR Regulation, which is cited below. Criminal cases in the field of forestry and timber industry constitute only a small part of the entire criminal tax law. In terms of the method of committing the criminal activity (issuing fictitious invoices, fictitious deliveries of goods), these are common frauds common to all economic activities.

Water reservoirs (WR), as a key source of drinking water in Slovakia, face increasing challenges due to environmental pressures, economic aspects and technological limitations related to water collection and treatment. The aim of the study was to analyse and compare the economic external factors of seven major Slovak drinking water reservoirs (Málinec, Truček, Nová Bystrica, Hriňová, Klenovec, Starina, and Bukovec). The results of the study evaluated the following economic factors: (i) drinking water supply, (ii) drinking water demand, and (iii) average annual costs for drinking water treatment and purification. The last-mentioned was studied in more detail to investigate how the catchment's forest cover affects annual water treatment costs. The analysis of economic factors showed that smaller reservoirs with a lower technical base, such as Hriňová and Turček, are more sensitive to seasonal and ecological fluctuations, leading to greater cost variability and more negative management effects. In contrast, large reservoirs such as Starina and Nová Bystrica exhibit greater stability and resilience to these impacts, and economic factors positively influence water resources management. The study also demonstrates that the catchment's forest cover and reservoir volume significantly contribute to lower drinking water treatment costs in Slovakia. These findings highlight the economic relevance of forested catchments for drinking water supply and underline the importance of integrating forest management considerations into water resource management.

In recent years, hyperspectral imaging has been widely adopted in agriculture and plant phenotyping, while its application in forestry has been increasing. From that point onward, hyperspectral imaging has become a valuable tool for plant phenotyping, enabling the assessment of a broad range of plant traits. Given that seedlings of forest trees are one of the most widely used types of forest planting stock, advancements in hyperspectral technology have created new possibilities for improving seedling quality assessment. High-quality forest seedlings are important for the successful establishment of forest stands, especially after outplanting within restoration initiatives. Even though hyperspectral imaging brings numerous advantages, continued technological improvements are necessary to address its several limitations and challenges. Despite its widespread use in agricultural phenotyping, applications in forest nursery production remain limited. Therefore, this review focuses on research involving hyperspectral imaging in forest seedling production and its potential for assessing seedling quality parameters.

Forest canopy structure is crucial for regulating light interception, carbon exchange, and water balance, making accurate estimation of leaf area index (LAI) essential for forest ecology and management. This study compared three indirect optical methods (LAI-2200 PCA, LaiPen LP 110, and digital hemispherical photography – DHP) for estimating effective leaf area index (LAI_e) in young Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] stands. It evaluated the influence of the field of view (FOV) and seasonal timing on inter-method agreement. The research was conducted in young, even-aged Norway spruce stands at the Křivina experimental site in the Czech Republic, using three research plots with varying stand densities. Results showed that LAI_e estimates were influenced by the selected FOV, with mean values generally decreasing as FOV increased, particularly for the LAI-2200 PCA. Narrow FOV configurations produced greater local variability among sampling positions, whereas broader FOVs resulted in more homogeneous spatial canopy patterns. The strongest agreement among methods was observed between LaiPen LP 110 and LAI-2200 PCA, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.71 to 0.84 across temporally matched measurements. In contrast, DHP exhibited weaker and more variable relationships with LaiPen LP 110. Differences among research plots were most pronounced between the dense control stand and the heavily thinned stand, indicating that canopy density and structural heterogeneity substantially affected LAI_e estimation. The study demonstrates that indirect optical methods are sensitive to both canopy structure and measurement configuration; therefore, careful instrument selection, FOV standardisation, and synchronised measurements are essential for obtaining reliable and comparable LAI_e estimates.

Control and supervision activities in the field of forest management are a type of activity of state authorities to detect, prevent forest violations. The purpose of this study is to analyse the dynamics and nature of violations in the forest sector on the example and in comparison of such regions of Russia as the Krasnodar territory and the Republic of Bashkortostan. The research methodology is selected taking into account the characteristics of the object under study. With the assistance of employees of the environmental inspectorate, search operations were organized in the areas where the greatest amount of forest damage occurs in the studied regions. The authors concluded that one of the reasons for the existing problems is the lack of interest of the state in the development of this sector of economy. The paper focuses on specific types of forest violations and the problems of their prevention. The authors believe that illegal logging belongs to the most common and socially dangerous forest violations. The article concludes that when adopting new regulations for control and supervisory activities in the field of forest management, the legislator must take into account requirements of administrative reform, regulatory guillotine, and risk-based approach.

The extremely dynamic development of calamities caused by the effects of global climate change followed by the spread of under-bark insect pests mainly in coniferous stands and the ongoing incidental felling have raised concerns in the woodworking industry about the developments in the source material with respect to ensuring production in a short-term view. Since the overall standing stock in spruce stands of all age classes in the Czech Republic amounts to 399.6 million m³ (2017-2026) and the theoretical outlook of the logging potential based on the percentage of logging accounts for 112.62 million m³ (2017-2026), the concerns might be deemed justified. The article presents an updated view of the current situation based on official statistics and offers an analytic prediction of the possible development, considering the possible consequences, even in the production of the forestry sector. The statistical data on the current situation have been compiled for the last two decades of development. The results show that with a continued high rate of bark beetle calamities, assuming a total annual cutting with a permanent limitation on the planned harvests of more than 30 million m³, the complete stands of spruce from age class 5 onwards could be harvested in approximately 14-16 years.