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Physical properties of soil can be affected by machines that are used for skidding which have the potential to impact soil sustainability and forest productivity. The present study evaluated the effect of timber skidding by a rubber-tired skidder and farm tractor on the soil physical properties. The study site was located in Hafdaghanan plantation region in the north of Iran. Two treatments that consisted of skidding by HSM 904 skidder and ITM285 farm tractor equipped with trailer were applied. The trails were included in three traffic levels: primary, secondary and tertiary. Treatment effects were tested using analysis of variance (ANOVA) with skidding machine types and traffic levels. Results indicated that machine type and traffic intensity are the effective factors on soil physical properties. The results showed that with an increase of traffic frequency, bulk density increased but total porosity and soil water content decreased. The results of the study provide clear evidence that farm tractor is a more environmentally friendly machine than rubber-tired skidder in the plantation area.

Currently, recreation is the most common use of protected areas and there are scarce data on the users and their opinion. The research was focused on visitors to the Blaník Protected Landscape Area (hereafter referred to as PLA), a well-known recreational area where data on visitors, important for PLA management, are missing. Therefore, the aim of the paper is find out: what kind of visitors comes to the study area; the type of forest trails and tourist facilities the visitors prefer. A questionnaire survey of forest visitors was used. Results show that the visitors mostly prefer maintained trails. According to forest visitors' opinion, the most convenient facility to place near the forest tourist trail is the nature trail panels. Furthermore, based on the acquired data, it was possible to create a visitor's profile which is important for respective research and other case studies in similar areas, and for managers of protected landscape areas to comply with both the visitors' needs and the needs of the protected area.

Spruces (Picea spp.) are considered to be the primary host trees of the double-spined bark beetle Ips duplicatus (Sahlberg, 1836), but occurrences on pines (Pinus spp.) are often reported. This paper documents the first recorded successful development of I. duplicatus on Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) (Mirbel) Franco. Two densely infested Douglas fir trees were found in a forest dominated by Norway spruce (Picea abies) (L.) H. Karst., close to the village of Valšovice (Czech Republic). Ips duplicatus is an oligophagous species that attacks different coniferous tree species but was not previously reported to develop on Douglas fir. The infestation of Douglas fir recorded in the present study was most likely promoted by a large population of I. duplicatus in the studied region combined with a local lack of primary host trees as a consequence of bark beetle outbreak.

European ash (Fraxinus excelsior) and sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) are considered amongst tree species as some of the most attractive forage for red deer (Cervus elaphus). The aim of this paper is to estimate branch and foliage mass browsing by red deer in young Sycamore maple and European ash in Central Slovakia and to analyze interspecific differences in browsing frequency and quantity. Altogether 665 ash trees and 701 maple trees were measured for height and stem diameter at the ground level. Red deer browsing, defined as leader shoot or lateral branch cropping, was recorded for all trees. A combination of the diameter of browsed branches and branch regression models allowed for the estimation of browsed (potentially consumed) mass by red deer. Results show that browsing occurred more frequently on maple (5 cases per tree) compared to ash (3 cases per tree); however, more total branch biomass was consumed in ash (10.7 g per tree) compared to maple (2.6 g per tree). This is because browsed branches were larger in ash than in maple. We assume that the difference in the size of browsed branches between ash and maple is relative to species-specific branch morphological and structural features.

A survey was conducted in the Training Forest Enterprise called Masaryk Forest in Křtiny (TFE Křtiny) in order to determine the extent of recreational use of the area, visitors' travel costs and their willingness to pay for services provided by the forest ecosystem of TFE Křtiny in the years 2013-2014. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the partial results of the research from 2013 and 2014 which was focused on the economic assessment of the recreational potential of the TFE MF Křtiny. The busiest roads in the forest road network and bike trails located in the Bílovice nad Svitavou forest district were selected. The results can be used to assess the impact of the forest enterprise on the economic and social development of the area, to measure the attractiveness, quality and facilities offered in the forest.

The present paper is the first contribution from the biomass quantification series which is realized by Forestry and Game Management Research Institute in the Krušné hory Mts. (Northern Bohemia). This study is aimed at blue spruce substitute stands. Research was done within the blue spruce experiment Fláje II in the Krušné hory Mts. (800 m above sea level in the spruce forest vegetation zone, acidic category). Results showed that the aboveground biomass of the investigated substitute blue spruce stand without thinning amounted to approximately 56 thousand kg of dry matter per ha at the age of 22 years. Wood and bark of branches are the most important parts of the aboveground biomass (ca 40%). Needles and stem wood accounted for approximately 26 and 28% and stem bark only for 6%. At the age of 22 years, the investigated substitute blue spruce stand accumulated: N - 336 kg, P - 28 kg, K - 138 kg, Ca - 159 kg, Mg - 28 kg per hectare. Thinning with the consequent removal of aboveground biomass (54% of trees, 40% of basal area at the age of 16 years) represented a loss of ca 8.7 thousand kg/ha of total biomass, which contained 53 kg of N, 5 kg of P, 22 kg of K, 26 kg of Ca and 4 kg of Mg. The removal of biomass in areas previously degraded by acid deposition may result in the deficiency of Ca and Mg because of their low content in forest soil. On the other hand, thinning supported the faster growth of trees left after thinning and consequently faster biomass and nutrient accumulation.

We studied effects of repeated applications of nitrogen on stem growth of mature Scots pine at four sites with yield potential around 3 - 4.5 m³ ha^‑1 yr^‑1. Treatments included control (0) and fertilization with ammonium nitrate at 100 and 200 kg N ha^‑1. Some plots were supplied with corresponding doses of urea. Applications were repeated up to five times, at five to twenty years intervals. Plot size was 22 x 22 m with buffer zones of 4 m. Measurements were made on an inner plot, 14 x 14 m. Tree ring widths usually reached a maximum two to four years after fertilization, returning to about the original level after seven to ten years. Responses were larger to 200 than to 100 kg N ha^‑1. Annual volume increment over the experimental period was 1.5 to 2.0 m³ ha^-1 larger in plots provided with 200 kg N ha^-1 than in control plots, or even more as the buffer zones of 4 m did not completely exclude tree roots from growing into neighbouring plots.

The work presents the conceptual information about the National Forest Inventory and Monitoring in Slovakia. It introduces some methodological approaches to the field data collection (determination of tree heights by two-phase method, regression formulas for tree volumes and assortments of forest tree species, quantification of deadwood volume in sample plots) and biometrical models prepared for data processing and generalisation of the results. The design and conception of Slovak National Forest Inventory and Monitoring were set with the aim to enable providing complex and integrated information about the state and changes of production and ecological characteristics of the forest ecosystems.

Climate change, air pollution and global challenges. Understanding and perspectives from forest research R. Matyssek, N. Clarke, P. Cudlin, T.N. Mikkelsen, J.P. Tuovinen, G. Wieser, E. Paoletti Developments in Environmental Science 13. Elsevier Ltd., Oxford, 2013 622 pages, ISBN 978-0-08-098349-3. € 142.31.

The onset and course of selected vegetative phenological phases of beech along the altitudinal gradient in Slovak Republic were studied. Observations were done in the Burda Mts. (200-300 m a.s.l.), Kremnické vrchy Mts. (500 m a.s.l.) and in the Poľana Mts. (900-1,000 m a.s.l., 1,200-1,400 m a.s.l.). Selected spring phenological phases (budburst and leaf unfolding) as well as autumn phenological phases (autumn colouring and leaf fall) were investigated over the period of 5 years (2007-2011). The earliest onset of spring phenological phases during the period of study was found at the lowest-lying sites in the Burda Mts. By contrast, the latest one was observed at the uppermost site in the Poľana Mts. The dynamics of autumn phenological phases had the opposite course compared to spring phenophases. The earliest onset, observed in the uppermost locality in the Poľana Mts., was gradually delayed with decreasing altitude. The phenological gradient, expressing a shift in the onset of spring phenophases along the gradient, reached the mean values of 2.83-3.00 days per 100 m of an increase in altitude. In the case of autumn phenological phases the gradient ranged from -1.00 to -1.78 days per 100 m. On average, the growing season of beech lasted from 128 to 181 days along the altitudinal gradient. Significant correlations (P < 0.001) were calculated between the date of the onset of phenophases and altitude.

Forests important from a water-management perspective cover 723,000 ha of the Czech Republic (CR), i.e. 27.6% of the forest area. These forests play an important role especially in a mountain landscape. Forests decrease peak flood flows, compensate water discharge and represent a source of high-quality fresh water. The optimum hydrological function is provided by forests that are healthy, ecologically stable, diversified, proper to site, growing on a good forest soil, managed by small-area felling and emulating natural processes. For mountain sites of the CR, the optimum proportion of Norway spruce (+ Silver fir) ranges from 70 to 80% and of European beech from 20 to 30%. Clear-cuts due to air pollution disasters led to replacement of the forest stand by perennial grassland increasing stormflows and decreasing the soil water supply to groundwater resources and the quality of water discharged from the forest. Skidding and hauling operations and an improperly constructed and maintained road network increased the surface runoff from a forest. Intraskeletal erosion occurs on pollution-disaster stone fields and in dying forest stands on stony sites. Reforestation of stone fields is necessary for the preservation of forests on stony and bouldery localities and their services for the cultural landscape situated below. In mountain headwaters, torrent control and forest amelioration are of great importance. These decrease peak flood flows, compensate water discharge and reduce bed-load and sediment transport. Forest amelioration enables the reforestation of waterlogged pollution-disaster areas.

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.

A pedological survey was carried out in a spruce monoculture, beech stand, and in a mixed stand at a field research station in Rájec-Němčice of the Institute of Forest Ecology (IFE), Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry (MUAF) in Brno in the region of the Drahanská Upland in 2004-2006. The aim of the paper was to evaluate (i) humus reserves and forms, (ii) soil reaction, (iii) reserves of total carbon and nitrogen for the forest floor layers and (iv) carbon/nitrogen ratio. Soil analyses were carried out on samples taken at the end of the growing season in a spruce, beech and mixed stand. The highest reserves of forest floor were found in the spruce stand (71.8 t/ha), which also corresponded to the exchangeable soil reaction 3.3 ± 0.4, the C/N ratio being 27.3 ± 3.0. The lowest reserves were found in the beech stand (46.7 t/ha), the soil reaction was 3.6 ± 0.5 and the C/N ratio was 26.0 ± 5.2. The mixed stand represented an intermediate value between extreme positions.

The paper analyses possibilities of repeated use of Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) in the regeneration of existing Norway spruce stands, in the regeneration of large-area clearcuts, and in the reconstruction of the stands of substitute tree species (European white birch [Betula verrucosa Ehrh.]) after a change in the emission situation in the northeastern Krušné hory Mts., comparing the prosperity of these plantations with plantations in the unpolluted Bohemian-Moravian Upland. The survey included 26 research plots aged 1-12 years, situated predominantly on acidic sites in Forest Altitudinal Vegetation Zones (FAVZ) 6 and 7 in the northeastern Krušné hory Mts. (air pollution damage zones A and B) and 6 control plots aged 4-11 years on acidic sites of FAVZ 6 in the Bohemian-Moravian Upland (air pollution damage zone C). Total number of parameters and traits assessed in each tree was up to 14. Research results indicate that the current pollution and climatic situation in the Krušné hory Mts. allow a switch to the classical spruce management system of higher elevations. The best method of regeneration is seen in small-size regeneration elements - clearcuts of up to 1 ha. The spruce can also be used on large-area clearcuts, but it suffers from a long transplanting shock and frost injuries there. All plantations must be protected against game damage.

A growing need for the evaluation of prospects and sustainability of forest resources calls for the availability of harmonized data on forest distribution. We described and evaluated nine datasets providing such information: Corine LandCover, four European forest maps and four tree species distribution maps. Apart from providing a condensed overview of these datasets, we focused on the match between selected forest maps and forest management plans (FMPs) of Slovakia, which can be thought of as highly accurate information on forest distribution. The degree of match between forest and species area, within 306 forest administrative districts of Slovakia, was used as an indicator of accuracy. In addition, the match between the total forest and species area in Slovakia, given by FMPs and by evaluated datasets, was addressed. We found a high degree of match for the datasets on forest distribution (R-square 0.77-0.93, depending on the dataset), as well as strong agreement in total forest area (± 5%). Both indicators are worse in the case of forest type evaluation (coniferous and broadleaved). Poor results were obtained for tree species maps, which under- or overestimated species areas by tens of per cent, although differences were highly variable among species. The obtained results are valid mainly for temperate forests.

Interest in conifer-broadleaf mixedwood forests has greatly increased due to continuous demand for hardwood products and a shift towards more biological or ecosystem-based management. In British Columbia, more than 30% of the productive forest land is a conifer-broadleaf mixture and current forest regulations are more conifer biased rather than maintaining a mixed-species condition. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of paper birch on white spruce growth. Spruce growth data from 10 to 18 years old complex stands indicate that radial, height, and stem volume was not impacted by retaining up to 3,000 stems.ha^-1 of birch. Similarly, growth and yield model projections suggest spruce-birch stands would be more productive up to a threshold birch density (3,000 stems.ha^-1) than pure spruce stands. At a 4% real interest rate, the removal of birch from these stands does not appear to be warranted as an investment. The results suggest that instead of encouraging uniform broadleaf removal across conifer plantations, mixed species management strategies could enhance the forest productivity, stand diversity and resilience.

We summarized development and dynamics of natural regeneration in mountain spruce forests in areas affected by bark beetle gradation in the Šumava National Park. Detailed measurements of the regeneration were carried out using Field-Map technology (www.fieldmap.com) on ten permanent research plots. Research plots included the forests with decaying tree layer, stands in partial decline and stands with a generally healthy, or only partially damaged tree layer. Differences in rates of regeneration are very significant between the particular types of plots, especially in the youngest age class. Differences are also evident in the seedling height under varying treatments. The highest numbers of recruits (9,880 per ha) were found under intact overstorey canopies, while the fastest height growth occurred on clearcuts. This study also investigated and evaluated artificial regeneration done in the past.

Anew approach to forestry that increasingly values non-timber forest functions brings new interest and value also to coppice forests. A case study in the Voskop nature reserve located in the Český kras Protected Landscape Area was focused on a comparison of the timber production of individually growing trees and in multistemmed trees resprouting after cutting (stools). We recorded tree ecological characteristics of trees such as existence of stem cavities, whether the tree grows individually or from a stool and whether or not the tree is broken, dead or has a dying crown. In total 2,670 trees were sampled on a 1,875 ha sample plot. The main tree species forming coppice stands are Quercus petraea and Carpinus betulus. The total stock volume of only 136 m³.ha^-1 is very low at 84 years of age. The stock volume of individually growing trees is 84 m³.ha^-1 and the stock volume of trees in stools is only 52 m³.ha^-1 although the number of individually growing trees is lower.

Litterfall, an important component of the nutrient cycle in forest ecosystems, was measured for 9 years in young oak stands on two localities classified as beech-oak climax (Fageto-Quercetum). We estimated that about 4 Mg of dry mass per hectare fell each year. Nutrient content in the litterfall represents annually per hectare approximately 40-55 kg of nitrogen, 2-3 kg of phosphorus, 7-16 kg of potassium, 41-73 kg of calcium and 6-7 kg of magnesium. The amount of litterfall is positively correlated with stand basal area and with the death of suppressed tress with small crowns. We found a positive correlation between annual litterfall and the sum of precipitation and a negative correlation between annual litterfall and temperature in summer.

This study was designed to evaluate the quantification of the nutrient content of aboveground biomass of teak plantation in a tropical dry deciduous forest of Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. The nutrient contents in the total biomass of teak in the plantation were 165.47 kg/ha N, 20.96 kg/ha P, 35.06 kg/ha K, 49.29 kg/ha Ca, 31.52 kg/ha Mg, 4.27 kg/ha Na, 4.06 kg/ha S and 3.21 kg/ha Cl. In total, 42.93% of the dry matter accounted for crown biomass (leaves, branches, twigs and reproductive parts), which in turn accounts for 60.93% N, 58.63% P, 54.30% K, 51.40% Ca, 62.5% Mg, 53.62% Na, 59.85% S and 60.74% Cl of the aboveground biomass, whereas 57.07% of the dry matter account for trunk biomass (bole bark and bole wood), which in turn accounts for 39.07% N, 41.37% P, 45.70% K, 48.6% Ca, 37.5% Mg, 46.38% Na, 40.15% S and 39.26% Cl.

In order to facilitate the use of biodiversity indicators in policy making at the country level, a few and well-established indices should be suggested. Promising candidates include biodiversity-related indices of the Convention on Biological Diversity; their current use and performance are evaluated through a Hungarian case study. Especially indices of the ecosystem level have already been in use, but they are not necessarily useful measures of the state of biodiversity in their current form. For example, ecosystems suggested globally for monitoring (forests and marine habitats) are not present in all the countries, thus the way of ecosystem selection should be standardized, not the actual ecosystem types. Besides the information on the extent of some selected habitats, the original cover should also be considered to evaluate the present situation. Recommendations are demonstrated in the case study. With the use of existing data, the applicability of certain indices can be improved, but in the long run, ecosystem-based indices of the natural capital should be favoured.

We calculated high-power forwarder productivity in regeneration felling with the objective to set long-term work plans. Based on the time studies of the forwarder operator's work operation the operation time consumption was calculated and operation standards for the studied type of forwarder were designed. The standard values were determined based on the volume weight of harvested timber and the forwarding distance. The resulting time consumption required for forwarding 1 m³ of timber, whose mean tree volume is 0.30-0.99 m³.stem^-1, and upon forwarding distance of 100-1,000 m ranges from 0.05-0.09 Nh.m^-3.

In northwestern Algeria, the production of Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.) seedlings in four nurseries is hindered by the damping-off disease. Results obtained indicated that Fusarium spp. are commonly found on diseased seedlings, in most containers and bare-root nurseries. Twenty-one isolates of Fusarium, belonging to seven species, were previously isolated from diseased seedlings, and identified based on their morphological and molecular characteristics and their sequences had been deposited in NCBI-Genbank. These isolates were tested for their pathogenicity to local Aleppo pine seeds. The highest inhibition was observed with F. redolens and F. solani, with 75 and 69.3%, respectively. The root growth inhibition of the Aleppo pine seedlings was significantly different for each isolate. The influence of various isolates of Fusarium spp. on seed germination, shoot and root length and vigour index was significantly different. The disease incidence caused by F. redolens and F. solani was 91 and 90%, respectively.

The aim of this study is to identify a period of time over which smaller, less costly tree transplants can reach the height of larger tree transplants and thus offset their performance. The following Central European native tree species were used: Quercus robur L., Carpinus betulus L., Fraxinus excelsior L., Acer campestre L., Acer pseudoplatanus L., Tilia cordata Mill. and Prunus avium L. In the period after planting, the best growth was observed for small tree transplants. These transplants reached the height of the medium-sized tree transplants for all species except C. betulus. However, the large transplants of A. campestre, F. excelsior and P. avium were still significantly taller than the medium-sized transplants ten years after planting. In contrast, slow growth was observed for the large tree transplants of C. betulus and Q. robur. During the monitoring period, the height of the medium-sized transplants of C. betulus even exceeded the height of the large transplants of this species. These differences suggest that the differences in the establishment rates of individual species are reflected in the growth rates of their plantations during longer periods after planting.

A field production study was conducted for a manual harvesting system using a chainsaw in a Caspian hardwood forest site. A selective cut was performed on a 42-hectare tract with an average slope of 30 percent. Felling time per tree was most affected by diameter at breast height and by the distance among harvested trees. The gross and net production rate was 20.6 m³ and 26.1 m³ per hour/one person, respectively. The unit cost considering the gross and net production rate was 1.05 USD/m³ and 0.81 USD/m³, respectively. The significant variables included diameter at breast height (D) and distance among harvested trees (L) for the time expenditure model. This regression function is statistically significant at α = 0.01.

The paper presented evaluates reserves and chemical composition of forest floor of three stands of Douglas fir, spruce and spruce with beech at acid sites (3K) in the Hůrky Training Forest District (TFD) and at a meso-trophic site (4H) in the Křtiny Training Forest Enterprise (TFE). The aim of the study was to evaluate: (i) reserves of forest floor, (ii) soil reaction, (iii) total content of carbon and nitrogen for the forest floor layers, iv) C/N ratio, and (v) the content of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). The lowest reserve occurs in the Douglas fir stand at a mesotrophic site (25.0 t/ha), the highest accumulation occurs in the spruce stand and in the spruce/beech stand at an acid site (79.4-79.6 t/ha). The soil reaction is strongly acid to acid. The most favourable values of pH for forest floor and soil at acid (4.6 ± 0.4) and mesotrophic sites (5.2 ± 0.4) occur in the Douglas fir stand. It also corresponds to C/N ratio (23-26). The highest reserve of carbon in forest floor occurs at the acid site 34.7 t/ha (1.3 t/ha nitrogen). The lowest reserve of carbon in forest floor at the mesotrophic site amounts to 8.5 t/ha (0.4 t/ha nitrogen). The higher content of DOC in stands at acid sites can result in a higher risk of soil acidification. Keywords: spe

Earlier breeders used phenotypic selection based on morphological characteristics to improve tree varieties. These selections often take many cycles of breeding and backcrossing in order to place desired characteristics. But today the knowledge has paved the way for a much deeper understanding of the mechanics of cell biology and the hereditary process itself. Breeders are presented with numerous possibilities of altering the behaviour of existing varieties. Linkage between molecular markers can be translated to genetic linkage maps, which have become an important tool in plant genetics. They may choose to use marker-assisted approaches in order to facilitate the selection of favourable combinations of genes that occur naturally within a tree species.

Soil properties can be affected by heavy equipment used for skidding but these impacts vary greatly with site conditions and operational practices. We assessed the effects of ground-based skidding on site disturbance and soil physical properties. We also tested the effects of skid trail slope and traffic frequency on soil compaction, total porosity, and moisture content. On average, about 30% of all harvested area was disturbed to varying levels. Intact forest floor (undisturbed) and light slash were the dominant surface conditions, covering an average of 68.9% of harvested area. Deep disturbed soils accounted for only just over 1.1% of observations. Results showed that dry bulk density, total porosity and moisture content were affected considerably on skid trails by traffic frequency and skid trail slope. Measurements of soil properties in the surface layer (0-10 cm) showed that bulk density is 57% higher and total porosity is 31% lower on the skid trail compared to the undisturbed area. Average moisture content has been measured as 35% on the skid trail versus 47% in the undisturbed area.

The life cycle operation phase of John Deere 1490D energy wood harvester from the aspect of energy audit and environmentally negative influence caused by emissions were evaluated. Energy audit quantifies energy used in the form of fuels and oils as well as energy expended for manufacture, transport and distribution of these fuels and oils. Emissions produced by operation are determined according to the consumption of fuels and oils based on emission factors. We also made a comparison of the general calculation of costs based on data provided by the manufacturer with costs ascertained in real operating conditions. The costs are divided into purchase, operating and other costs. Total costs are subsequently converted into unit costs according to the assumed productivity of the machine, its estimated lifetime, and the mean real throughput of the machine. The machine throughput, and thus also its operating economics, is greatly dependent on the character of the processed material, its stem volume, moisture, way of dendromass preparation, and operator's skills. Energy use was calculated at 74.4 MJ.FU^-1 (functional unit) related to fuel consumption and 13.4 MJ.FU^-1 related to the consumption of oils. The total energy use of the life cycle operation phase of the slash bundler was determined as 87.8 MJ per each bundle produced. The real productivity of the machine in the given operating conditions was several times lower than the productivity indicated by the manufacturer.

Biochar (BC), the carbon-rich by-product resulting from pyrolysis of biomass, is used for bioenergy and increasingly as a soil additive for carbon sequestration and soil improvement. However, information about the effects of BC on forest productivity and reforestation success, especially on boreal and temperate forest soils, is scant. We examined the effects of two BC types (Canadian and Finnish) added in proportions up to 60 vol.% into a common alluvial silty soil on the growth of transplanted Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) seedlings in a growth chamber. We found no marked differences in seedling growth among the binary growing media mixes used. Seedling growth attributes (seedling height, terminal shoot growth, root volume) differed consistently only between the BC types in the highest proportion used. The terminal shoot growth differed overall among the two BC types. These results suggest that BC may be applied into mineral soils without detrimental chemical effects on tree plantation success. Our results provide foundation for further field research on the longer-term impacts of adding BCs to boreal forest soils.