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In Saudi Arabia, tree mortality has abnormally increased over the past ten years, exceeding regulatory standards without clear interpretation. The present study aimed to investigate three attacked tree populations in different biogeographic regions of Saudi Arabia. For this purpose, climatic data from the last thirty years, forest densities, soil cover, pest search, and insect damage to trees have been reported. The results of this study show a distinct climate change manifested by an increase of 2 °C in temperature accompanied by a decrease in precipitation and the extension of drought periods during the last 30 years. Analysis of satellite images and the computation by quadrat methods revealed a decline in forest density and soil tree cover caused by dieback associated with an increase in the rate of tree pest attacks. Furthermore, tree investigations show attacks of the xylophagous beetles Steraspis speciosa and Paropta paradoxus on Acacia population in the north and centre of the country. In addition, many strains of termites are attacking the Dobera glabra population in the south of the Kingdom. This study shows that tree dieback, as a response to long periods of drought, when associated with pest attacks, provokes a dramatic decline in forest tree heritage. Climate change is the principal precursor to forest decline and pest invasion in Saudi Arabia.

In today's forestry practices, integrated management is the prevailing approach. One method gaining traction is retention forestry, where certain trees, known as biotope trees providing microhabitats (TreMs), are preserved during harvesting operations. This article delves into hands-on training for marking interventions using marteloscope plots, focusing specifically on 'Pokojná hora,' a 1-hectare plot situated in the southeast of the Czech Republic. Field surveys were conducted using FieldMap technology, capturing essential data for all trees: coordinates, species, diameter, height, and health status. Additionally, details such as wood quality, economic value, microhabitats, and habitat value were documented for each tree. Forestry engineering students virtually mapped out interventions on the marteloscope plot, testing 11 solution variants across 2 scenarios to strike a balance between economic goals and biodiversity conservation. The plot hosts 155 microsites, predominantly on Fagus sylvatica (common beech) with 108 microsites. The likelihood of TreMs increases with tree diameter, while the correlation between a tree's economic value and its diameter was confirmed. Optimal management suggests maintaining 10 habitat trees per ha to reconcile economic and ecological objectives during harvesting operations. In essence, we contend that the adoption of retention forestry practices coupled with marteloscope training can play a pivotal role in arresting biodiversity decline within forest ecosystems.

Castanea sativa is a type of cultivated chestnut tree found in the Czech Republic, growing in both lowland and midland regions. These trees are usually planted individually or in pairs, with over half of the plantings located in urban areas. One-fifth of chestnut trees thrive in parks, while chestnut orchards or forest stands make up only one-tenth of the areas where chestnut trees are located. In the Czech Republic, approximately 30 ha are covered by chestnut trees. Regeneration of chestnut trees occurs in only 6% of the localities due to regular lawn mowing. However, 40% of the surveyed forests showed signs of regeneration, demonstrating the species' ability to regenerate under Central European climate conditions.

This study compares soil temperature data collected between 2019 and 2022 in Hrušky, South Moravia, Czech Republic. Soil temperature was measured at five depths (5, 10, 20, 50, 100 cm) in the forest shelterbelt (windbreak) and at three distances from it to investigate the impact of the shelterbelt on the climatic conditions of adjacent field plots. In particular, monthly averages, calculated from average daily temperatures, were employed to characterise the temperature course. These are calculated as averages of measured temperatures at 15-minute intervals. Absolute and relative differences and, where appropriate, base indices, were calculated to facilitate the comparison of individual measurement points (sites) and soil depths. The soil temperature values and their dynamics during the year differ between the measurement point in the forest shelterbelt (90-0) and those in the field. Additionally, the field measurement points exhibit some degree of variation, with the more distant field measurement point (180-90) displaying distinct characteristics from the closer field measurement points (90-45, 90-90). During the winter months (December, January, February), the temperature increases with soil depth, being highest within the windbreak. In spring (February and March), the temperature at different soil depths starts to equalise; however, in April, the temperature decreases with soil depth. Throughout the summer, the measurement station within the windbreak has lower temperatures than in the field, where the soil shows higher temperatures at all depths compared to the windbreak measurement station. In August, the temperature differences in depth begin to equalise again. In September, the temperature trend reverses, and from October, the temperatures increase with soil depth, especially in the lower layers of the soil. The temperature trend in November has a more or less winter character. Soil temperatures in the forest shelterbelt are lower in the summer months and higher in the winter months than in the field. The protective effect of the windbreak is more pronounced at measurement stations closer to the belt, as the temperatures at the farthest field measurement station are higher in summer and lower in winter compared to the closer field measurement stations.

The study evaluates the results of a long-term research trial lasting 50 years in two research plots established in the 1970s aimed at solving the decline of the silver fir in the Czech Republic. A total of 103 different provenances occurring naturally across 12 countries were planted in research plots No. 67, Černovice (Českomoravská vrchovina), and No. 77, Nové Hrady (Novohradské hory). The total tree height, diameter at breast height (DBH) and assessment of the health status of all trees in the area were measured with the same methodology. Subsequently, the volume of large wood was calculated by the volume equation, and the growing stock per hectare was recalculated. Based on our analysis of average height growth, it was found that trees with the best growth came from provenances that included the Czech provenances CZ 70 – Ždírec nad Doubravou, CZ 82 – Vizovice, CZ 42 – Lukov, CZ 76 – Nýrsko, Suchý Kámen, and CZ 53 – Opočno. The last three mentioned provenances also dominated in other growth parameters (DBH and volume of large wood). Of the foreign provenances, D 146 – Schwarzwald mit Baar, S 9 – Kriváň, and S 6 – Čierny Váh produced trees that showed above-average values. The smallest growth in height was found in the trees from the provenances BG 132 – Rila, Borovets, F 104 – Departement de ľ Aude, I 228 – Vallombrosa, A 93 – Wörschachwald. Although some trees of Italian provenance achieve above-average volume, due to high mortality, they are not suitable for economic use in the forests of the Czech Republic. Based on the European zoning for forests, the units from the Central European region (3.11.0 – České Polabí, 3.32.0 – Schwarzwald with foothills and Baar, and 9.14.0 – Southern Apennine Mountains) were the best rated in all parameters. Specimens from 9.12.0 – Mountain forest of the northern Apennines, and 4.05.0 – Vosges showed the lowest parameters.

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.

Natural regeneration is a crucial factor in improving the economy of forest estates. The presented study analysed the economic parameters of three different approaches to forest regeneration: (i) artificial regeneration with Norway spruce, (ii) a 25% admixture of soil-improving and stabilising species (SSTS), and (iii) natural regeneration. The expenses for these specific operations related to individual regeneration methods were derived. These variants were investigated before the bark beetle calamity (2014) and after the outbreak (2023) for management sets (MS) 531, 551, 571, and 591, i.e. for acidic, nutrient-rich, gleyed, and waterlogged sites of higher elevations. In all cases, natural regeneration decreased expenses by approximately 2 000 EUR·ha^–1 (50 000 CZK·ha^–1) to 6 000 EUR·ha^–1 (150 000 CZK·ha^–1). The 25% admixture of SSTS increased the expenses. The proportion of natural regeneration subsequently decreased due to the bark beetle calamity from roughly 40% to 10% in recent years, which is comparable with the Czech Republic as a whole.

The paper deals with a new method of innovative assessment of the supported effects and ecosystem services of forests using the actual amount of their increased costs. Among the most important research findings and significance of the new method is that it contributes to the body of knowledge on valuation and payment for ecosystem services. The focus of the research task is to help address the current difficult economic situation of forest owners resulting from the impacts of climate change. The study aims to determine what work quantifies the amount of compensation for the provision of supported ecosystem services that is sufficient for owners by using hypothesis testing. The evaluation of the supported effects was carried out in a case study in the area of the Chrudim-Podhůra Recreational Forests in the Czech Republic. The results of the evaluation were quantified in two experimental spreadsheets of the results, a comparative analysis of the evaluation results was performed, and hypothesis testing was conducted. The innovative methodological approach to the assessment of supported effects can be easily modified and used to assess the actual amount of increased costs of other ecosystem services of the forest.

The year 2018 was distinguished by a warm summer with extended periods of low or no precipitation. In this context, we investigated the intra-annual dynamics of xylem differentiation phases and quantitative vessel anatomy to analyse the age effect on the xylem formation response of younger (50 years) and older (135 years) mature European beech trees under summer drought conditions. The xylem formation dynamics of young and old trees were performed on microcores collected at weekly intervals in the Rájec-Němčice ecological station in the South Moravia region (Czech Republic). The onset of xylem formation was found identical in both age trees, and most of the trees ceased their enlargement by the end of July, which is attributed to the harsh environmental conditions of this month. Young trees were characterised by a 10-day extended enlargement period and a higher growth rate, resulting in more vessels and a wider tree-ring width. No significant linkage was found between intra-annual environmental conditions of the 2018 year or age effect and the vessel anatomy traits.

Old plant communities are of utmost importance for nature conservation, carbon sequestration, as well as gene pool maintenance. Shrub populations occurring in extreme environments beyond abiotic tree-lines provide diverse ecosystem services and have potential as proxy archives because they often inhabit areas with scarce and short instrumental records. We provide dendrochronological insight into one such population made up of prostrate Juniperus communis shrubs in the northern Scandinavian tundra (Norway), growing on a competition-free boulder field. We dated and provided a growth chronology of the oldest living shrub population (190 ± 148 years) from Scandinavia with the oldest individual being 683 years old. This is a conservative estimate, as shrubs in extreme environments do not form even a single row of cells in some years. The cross-dating issues of poorly growing shrubs do not fully allow to rely on climate sensitivity of the juniper population studied, although the species' potential for dendroclimatological reconstructions is generally considered high, also because the common juniper is an abundant woody species distributed globally. Old populations present an important gene source in plant recruitment, particularly in the context of the present environmental change.

This study focused on the hydrophysical characteristics of an abandoned limestone quarry in Czechia. Six sites were examined; two sites were undergoing natural succession (the Quarry Wall and Reed Canary Grass plots, which had undeveloped arboreal layers) and four sites were undergoing managed forest reclamation. Of the four forest reclamation sites, three were classified as prospering (the Prospering Lime, Prospering Maple and Prospering Lime + Oatgrass plots) and one was in decline (the Declining Larch + Lime plot). The arboreal layer included small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata Mill.), sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus L.), and European larch (Larix decidua Mill.). Our results showed that Lime + Oatgrass plot retained more water than other plots. Field soil moisture measurements indicated that throughout the 1096-day monitoring period, only the soils at the successional sites reached the wilting point (Quarry Wall plot: 159 days; Reed Canary Grass plot: 43 days). Soil heterogeneity in the reclaimed areas was due to variation in the soil profile depth, disturbance from mining activities, reclamation efforts, and the availability of quality soil material. Soil conditions and the dynamics at the quarry created less than ideal conditions for tree regeneration. This primarily relates to limiting and significantly heterogeneous successional plots.

Scattered Greek juniper (Juniperus excelsa M. Bieb.) trees have ecological values, such as soil protection and soil erosion reduction in the Irano-Turanian region; however, intensive exploitation puts their habitats at risk. Therefore, knowing the soil characteristics of these habitats plays an important role in their management. The aim of this study was to investigate the soil quality of semi-arid woodlands dominated by a pure Juniperus excelsa community. At three sites in the Irano-Turanian region, soil samples were randomly taken from a depth of 0–20 cm in the eastern direction under the crowns of Greek juniper trees and from bare soil. The evaluated physical properties included bulk density (Bd), moisture, sand percentage, silt percentage and clay. Chemical properties included pH, electrical conductivity (EC), organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and nutrient concentrations of bare soil compared to the below-crown soil. Additionally, we investigated basal respiration (BR) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) to evaluate the influence of Greek juniper trees on soil microbial activity. The bulk density value in samples taken under crowns was significantly lower by 42% compared to bare soil; however, significantly higher soil moisture (+39.8%) was obtained under tree crowns. Although clay and sand content under tree crowns was significantly higher than that of bare soil, sand content under tree crowns was significantly lower than in bare soil. According to our findings, soil pH under tree crowns and in bare soil was 7.13, which increased to 7.67 in bare soil. Soil EC (+15%), SOC (+76%), and TN (+29%) were significantly higher under tree crowns. The concentrations of magnesium and sodium were similar between bare and below-crown soils, but significantly higher phosphorus (+46%), potassium (+41%), calcium (+31.1%), iron (43.3), and zinc (+56.6%) were observed under Greek juniper crowns. Soil microbial activity was higher under tree crowns compared to bare soil, as evidenced by significantly increased BR (+49.1%) and MBC (+43.5%). Our findings indicate that scattered Greek juniper trees can improve soil properties, and their destruction leads to a significant decrease in soil quality. Generally, planting Greek juniper seedlings in degraded areas can help restore the soil quality.

In response to the decline of Central European spruce monocultures driven by various factors, the Demonstration Object of Reconstruction of Spruce Forests (DORS) was established in Husárik locality, Javorníky Mts., northwestern Slovakia. The area includes the Husárik trial site, where the applicability and efficiency of different artificial regeneration methods are studied. The trial was established on a 24-ha area cleared following the outbreak of spruce bark beetles in 2011. Its altitude is 800 m a.s.l., aspect NW, slope 30%, the soil is Ranker on the soft flysch sandstone bedrock. Our study covered 4 conifers – Norway spruce (spruce), European larch (larch), silver fir (fir), and Douglas fir (doug fir). Each species was regenerated using 4 different approaches: planting of commercial bareroot transplants (BR), planting of container transplants (CON), direct seeding (DS) and vegetative cell seeding using seed shelters (VCS). Results concerning the nine-year development of transplants and seedlings, along with the calculation of cost-efficiency, are presented. As to the species, BR and CON transplants of spruce and larch reached the best survival and height. The DS larch was the most cost-efficient method of establishment of a successfully established plantation (survival > 50%; stem height > 2/3 of the weed height; ratio of damaged individuals < 50%) with a total cost of 2 372 EUR·ha^–1. On the contrary, the slow initial growth of fir and Douglas fir and their extensive damage resulted in the incomparably higher cost of establishment of their successfully established plantation, such as 4 980 EUR·ha^–1 for five-years-old BR fir transplants. Our findings documented that current efforts related to the restoration of salvage-felled clearings remained difficult, especially in the case of introduction or reestablishment of coniferous tree species more vulnerable to open site conditions.

Grey poplar (Populus × canescens) is a natural hybrid of white poplar (Populus alba L.) and Eurasian aspen (Populus tremula L.). It could play a significant role in the afforestation of marginal sites which stretch out on ever more areas due to the negative effects of local climate change. Based on stand structure analyses of grey poplar stands grown on the sandy sites of Hungary, the following relations were found: There is a strong relationship between tree height and stand volume (R² = 0.7256), as well as between basal area per ha and stand volume (R² = 0.9158). There is a moderate relationship between diameter at breast height and stand volume (R² = 0.6175). The results could contribute to a more accurate assessment of applied silvicultural technologies.

Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) is a professional and social institution whose basic mission is to influence the scientific level of research activities and education in its field of competence, to take care of its continuous development and to effectively popularize the acquired scientific knowledge. Within the CAAS and its Department of Forestry, the Commission of Forest Economics has been operating for a long time, focusing on forest and wood economics and policy. A total of 11 research directions are defined in the forthcoming Concept of Research, Development and Innovation of the Ministry of Agriculture for the period 2023+, the professional part of which is covered and guaranteed by the CAAS. The following directions are included in forestry and wood processing: "Forestry and related industries" and the direction "Forest and agricultural economics and policy" integrated with agriculture. The paper briefly describes the scientific focus of forest and wood economics and policy in this context and especially the activities of the Commission of Forest Economics of the Department of Forestry of the CAAS. In the temporal and factual context, it mentions the published monograph "Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences and a Quarter-Century of the Commission of Forest Economics".

Silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) is still counted among drought-tolerant tree species. However, its ability to cope with the recent extremely dry period has not yet been sufficiently studied. The objective of research was to analyse differences in the climate-growth response between silver fir, Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.) and European larch (Larix decidua Mill.) growing in areas with large-scale disintegration of spruce stands. In 2019–2021, the increment cores were sampled at 16 sites along the altitudinal gradient of 340–775 m a.s.l. in different regions of the Czech Republic affected by bark beetle outbreak. The radial growth pattern of fir was compared with that of spruce or larch growing under the same site conditions. In fir, the missing rings were frequently recorded during the period of peak SO₂ pollution load in 1966–1985, but they were rarely identified in recent years. In spruce and larch, missing rings were less common and occurred mainly in the recent dry period after 2015. Fir was less sensitive to summer drought compared to larch and especially to spruce, which showed high sensitivity to summer drought regardless of the altitude. The significant positive response of fir to summer precipitation was recorded at sites up to 450 m a.s.l., however, its sensitivity to drought has increased in the last two decades. Hence, when considering the wider use of fir, it is necessary to respect its ecological requirements as much as possible in order to preserve its vitality and production potential in changing climatic conditions.

The Algeria forest, particularly in the northeastern region, has undergone profound changes in recent years. The Oued Bouhamdane watershed has a great forest potential, which is threatened by several factors of natural and human origin, resulting in a decrease in forest cover. It requires adequate forest monitoring to support the sustainable forest management of this watershed, which is possible thanks to satellite imagery. The objective of this research is to study the spatiotemporal dynamics of the vegetation cover of the Oued Bouhamdane watershed between 2013 and 2022 using remote sensing data. This study is based on the use of Landsat 8 and 9 images for two dates in 2013 and 2022, and the calculation of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to identify changes in vegetation cover between 2013 and 2022. The calculation of NDVI and the realization of the vegetation change map showed a regression of the forest cover between 2013 and 2022 with a rate of –5.53% of the total of the study area with a general negative change of 28.62% of the study area. This regression is essentially linked to natural and anthropogenic factors. This work can be a valuable tool for sustainable management of the forest of this watershed; moreover, the method is also adaptable to other watersheds of the northeastern region of Algeria.

Forest cover plays an important role in terms of biodiversity and the environment. The Beni Salah national forest in its part which is located in the Guelma province in the extreme northeast of Algeria is an illustrative example where forest fires represent the chronic phenomenon which weighs heavily on this forest. The present study comes after a forest fire that occurred in 2021, when 3 000 ha of this forest were ravaged by forest fires according to the conservation of forests of Guelma. The main objective of this research is to map the severity of burns and estimate the severely burned area using Sentinel-2 satellite images based on remote sensing indices such as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Differenced Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (dNDVI), Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR), Differenced Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR), Green Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (GNDVI), Differenced Green Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (dGNDVI), Burn Area Index (BAI) and Relativized Burn Ratio (RBR). The result obtained revealed that 28.23% of the study area represents a seriously burned area. The established burn severity map is a real decision-making tool, but it still has certain limitations.

Abies hidalgensis is an endemic species from the state of Hidalgo, Mexico, that has been registered only in nine fragmented relict populations that have a total of 1 000 individuals among them. Intensive forest management takes place in five of the populations under specific programs focused on Pinus spp. Still, it is necessary to know the impact of these activities on the genetic diversity of the threatened species, if restoration and conservation strategies are to be proposed. The aim of this work was to estimate the effect of forest management on the genetic structure of A. hidalgensis using seven nuclear molecular markers developed for A. guatemalensis (Ab07, Ab08, Ab09, Ab12, Ab15, Ab20, Ab23). The species was sampled growing under two different conditions; (i) areas under forest management and (ii) conserved areas. Two indexes of genetic diversity were evaluated, observed and expected heterozygosity. The genetic structure was determined by an analysis of molecular variance and a Bayesian assignment model. A bottleneck analysis was also carried out. The populations were found to have a common genetic base (differen­tiation coefficient F_ST = 0.056, number of mi­grants per generation Nm = 43), which suggests recent fragmentation of the distribution, which in turn increases the bottleneck effect in managed areas (Wilcoxon probability Wp = 0.007 and 0.016). This explains the apparently high heterozygous level (H_e = 0.69) and low inbreeding. Our results are important as they may be used to design strategies for management and conservation of A. hidalgensis.

Tree height is one of the most important variables in describing forest stand structure. However, due to difficulty in height measurement, especially in dense and mountainous forests, the common approach is to invoke the height-diameter (H-D) models. The oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) is one of the most important species of Hyrcanian forests, over the mid to high-altitudes (400–1 800 m a.s.l.), in northern Iran. In this study, the H-D relationship of beech trees was investigated separately for mid-altitude and high-altitude in Shafaroud forests of Guilan using 14 nonlinear H-D models and an artificial neural network model (ANN). To collect data, a systematic random sampling method within a 100 × 100 m regular randomized grid was applied. In total, 3 243 individual trees in 255 circular plots with 0.1 ha were measured. For comparing the results, performance criteria including root mean square error (RMSE), R²_adj, Akaike's information criterion (AIC), and mean absolute error (MAE) were used. In high and mid altitudes, Meyer (1940) and Bates and Watts (1980) models had the best performance, while Watts (1983) model and Burkhart-Strub (1974) model had the worst performance in high-altitude and in mid-altitude, respectively. On the other hand, the ANN model had the best accuracy and performance in both sites. Since the performance of the ANN model is superior and consistent compared to the common nonlinear models, here it is preferred for both regions.

While even-aged forestry is the dominating forest management system in Sweden, there is an increasing interest in Continuous Cover Forestry. Consequently, the conversion of even-aged stands into uneven-aged ones using e.g. selection cutting can be expected to become more common in Sweden. However, there are no up-to-date studies available on harvester productivity during selection cutting under Nordic conditions. Studying harvest intensity during selection cutting is of interest because lighter harvest intensities lead to higher volume growth and better-preserved forest ambience than heavier intensities. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of harvest intensity on harvester productivity during selection cutting. The field study entailed harvesting either 14%, 28% or 48% of a mature stand’s basal area. Harvester productivity was mainly explained by piece size (stem volume), while other factors, including harvest intensity, had only minor effects. This reality means that during selection cutting (thinning from above), piece size increases with decreasing harvest intensity, which in turn increases harvester productivity. Moreover, we observed a mild tendency that operators could select the stems’ felling directions and order more freely when fewer trees are harvested. This amelioration increases productivity additionally during lighter harvesting intensities.

Litterfall of silver fir contributes to development of forest floor similarly like Norway spruce litterfall does. The nutrient return to soil can be intensified by mixing these conifers with other tree species whose effects on soil are positive; our study deals with European rowan. The study aimed at firs and rowans in alternating rows (Fi-Ro) compared to the monospecific plantation of fir (Fi) at two former meadow sites with the stands of 20 and 17 years of age, respectively. Both organic forest floor and its mineral subsurface were sampled. Rowan admixed to the silver fir plantation improved both the uppermost layer and the topsoil as higher pH, more favourable soil-sorption properties and higher plant available magnesium were found below Fi-Ro compared to Fi. Fine dry matter was higher below Fi, which was reflected in higher organic carbon (C_ox), combustible matter and nitrogen pools. Besides the effects of trees on the soil, silvicultural issues such as renewal costs and tree species performance in monospecific and mixed stands were presented and discussed.

Knowledge of mechanisms by which large mammals select rubbing trees (RT) is a major challenge for the effective management of forests and wildlife resources. In this study, we investigated this issue regarding the Wild boar (Sus scrofa) in the Moroccan forested site of Sidi Boughaba as a case study. We used data from four sets of variables, namely topography, forest type, landscape composition, and microhabitat, measured at 58 rub and control trees, to determine the factors associated with the occurrence of RT by means of generalized linear mixed models. Our results showed that the RT occurrence increased with a high density of red juniper trees and declined with distance to the nearest footpath. Variation partitioning analysis revealed that the pure fraction of microhabitat was the most robust in explaining this occurrence (adj. R² = 0.17, P < 0.001), followed by that of forest type (adj. R² = 0.05, P < 0.05). A scientific monitoring system must be set up to strike a balance between the availability of forest trees on the one hand and the pressure exerted by wild boars on this internationally importance site on the other. It is imperative to test the geographical generality of our results in other Mediterranean forests.

Forest thinning can be used as an adaptive measure to improve the growth and resistance of Norway spruce forests affected by climate change. The impact of different thinning intensities on sap flow, growth, and tree water deficit of 40-year-old Norway spruce was tested. High thinning intensity (–61% of basal area) resulted in increased tree-level sap flow compared to the control (+27%), but it caused a decrease in the stand-level transpiration (–34%) due to reduced leaf area index. Low-intensity thinning (–28% basal area), high-intensity thinning, and control showed similar responses of sap flow to vapour pressure deficit and global radiation, suggesting unchanged isohydric behaviour. Both low- and high-intensity treatments displayed greater radial growth than the control. There were no differences in tree water deficit between the treatments. The low-intensity treatment can be considered the best water utilisation treatment with increased growth and unchanged transpiration at the tree level. The high-intensity treatment had similar radial growth as the low-intensity but lower stand-level transpiration, implying improved soil water availability. The study expands the ecophysiological understanding of thinning as a valuable silvicultural practice for adapting forest management of Norway spruce to the effects of climate change.

Forests cover almost one half of European land. Therefore, land taxes, including taxes from forests, are essential for a municipality's income. The land tax system is implemented on different levels, mainly nationally and locally. Therefore, many land tax features are settled by federal law, and others differ according to the local tax administrators. The objective of the paper is to compare the current laws and principles and the implementation process of forest land in Slovakia and Portugal. We have selected countries from different geographical areas of Europe. Even though the forest compositions and forest ownership differ, we aimed to identify whether the forest land tax systems can be similar. We analysed the legislation and strategic documents on the national level that helped us to describe the land tax system and its general features (e.g. taxpayer, tax rate, tax base, exemption options, tax period, or penalties). In both countries, the national tax law governs the tax implementation and settles any basic processes related to tax collection. The municipalities have the right to revise both the tax rates and exemptions. The results also show that forest owners in Slovakia have more options for tax exemptions than in Portugal.

Local people’s socio-economic and natural resources, especially forest resources, have been affected by land degradation in Ethiopia in the past years. To combat this problem, rehabilitation of community-based degraded land has been performed since 1979. Rehabilitation of degraded land (RDL) is important for forest management strategy regarding the regeneration of degraded forests and related resources through women’s empowerment. Because empowered women are key users and managers of resources from rehabilitated land such as forest resources, which leads to sustainable utilization of forest products. The aim of the study was to evaluate women’s participation and empowerment in decision-making regarding the rehabilitation intervention. A total of 120 women households (60 user and 60 non-user
women) were selected using a stratified random sampling method. Data were collected using a household survey, focus group discussion and key informant interviews. The results revealed that there is a significant difference between user and non-user women in fetching water and fuelwood collection time. Furthermore, RDL contributes to improving user women’s economic status and social relationships such as livelihood opportunity, social network, build-up of trust and changes in social assets. The result also indicated that women able to participate in forest-related meetings, land use management, use and control of assets, decision-making, and in soil and water conservation measures. Further, user women had greater awareness compared to non-users due to participation in different meetings and other decision-making activities. The findings suggest that consideration of women’s participation in decision-making regarding the community land rehabilitation program is important to empower women equally with men.

Biological invasions are globally recognised as a significant threat to native biodiversity, as they can change the structure, composition, and functioning of the native ecological system. The riparian forest is considered a habitat highly invaded by invasive plants since rivers serve as corridors for alien species through the terrestrial ecosystem or may simply harbour exotic species that cannot survive elsewhere. The riparian forest, as a high conservation value forest, is an important part of the lowland forests of Georgia. These forests are distributed along large rivers, including the Mtkvari, Alazani, Iori, Aragvi, Ksani, Algeti, and Great and Little Liakhvi rivers. Here, we present a case study that was part of the scientific project titled 'Survey of Potential Invasive Alien Woody Species (PIAWS) in the Protected Areas of Georgia'. Protected areas (PAs) in Georgia play an important role in conserving native biodiversity, including forest ecosystems of distinguished biodiversity. We focused on the lowland riparian forest (LRF) distributed along the Mtkvari and Iori rivers within two PAs – Korugi and Gardabani Managed Reserves (MRs). Six main alien woody species (AWS) were identified in the study areas: Robinia pseudoacacia, Gleditsia triacanthos, Ailanthus altissima, Acer negundo, Amorpha fruticose and Morus alba. Among these AWS, the local status of R. pseudoacacia, G. triacanthos, A. altissima, and A. fruticosa is invasive, while that of A. negundo and M. alba is naturalised. The environmental impact of AWS on LRF habitat was evaluated using the Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT) classification system. A major or moderate impact of AWS on the LRF habitat is evident, which, according to EICAT impact mechanisms, is expressed as apparent competition and physical, structural and indirect impacts. The study revealed that the impact levels of three AWS, R. pseudoacacia, G. triacanthos, and A. altissima, were classified as major or moderate ('harmful' impact), while the remaining AWS, A. negundo and A. fruticosa, were of minor or minimal concern. AWS in the invaded areas of the LRF are found as an understorey layer or, otherwise, they have already formed the main canopy and replaced native dominant woody species. Therefore, undesirable structural and succession processes in invaded LRFs are evident.

Environmental valuation studies in the context of developing countries have become more frequent in recent years. However, literature which reviews and examines the environmental valuation studies is limited. Thus, this paper performed a literature review on forest contingent valuation studies conducted in the Ethiopian context in the past two decades (2000 to May 2022), focusing on two specific objectives: (i) to examine amounts of resources that households are willing to pay (WTP) for forest conservation, and (ii) to identify determinants of households' WTP. Results indicate the mean lower annual WTP of USD 0.41 (2.63 birr) and 7.04 man-days per household in money and labour time, respectively. Whereas the mean upper annual WTP of USD 53.52 per household in monetary payment and 94.34 man-days per household in labour time contribution are found for the management and conservation of forest in Ethiopia. The finding reveals that there is a limited proportion of the examined studies that included and estimated WTP in a non-monetary payment vehicle, implying a need for future researches on the topic. The result shows that demographic and socio-economic variables, physical assets ownership, institutional and infrastructural services and bid price variables were the main determinants of households' WTP. This suggests that the forest conservation intervention program involving public participation in the country needs to consider the identified determinants of WTP in design and implementation of the program. Moreover, the finding indicates the presence of mixed results on the effect and direction in which some determinants of WTP are affected. This recommends a pressing need for comprehensive future studies on the research theme.

The study aimed to quantify annual mortality and recruitment rates on permanent research plots in the Badínsky prales old-growth forest. The data measured in four stands originate from six censuses, which together cover a 48-year period. The mean annual mortality rate reached 4.2% (DBH > 2 cm) or 2.3% (DBH > 8 cm). The mortality peaked in the first part of the observation period, probably indicating an intermediate disturbance activity, and the subsequent declining trend led to minimum annual mortality during the last 20 years. We found substantially higher fir mortality in comparison with beech, primarily during the first decades of the measurement period. Among three size categories, the stems with DBH 2–8 cm showed the highest mortality rate. We detected the minimum fir recruitment rate throughout the observation period; on the other hand, the beech recruitment rate was relatively high responding to the open canopy. Standing and lying deadwood volumes indicated similar trends like mortality did, and high values of fir standing deadwood observed during the first decades can signify that a relatively high proportion of mortality was related to the fir decline caused by air pollution.

Micropropagation has enormous potential in the forestry industry for the mass production of elite genotypes. A limiting factor that hinders a wider adoption of this technique is its high associated cost, dissuading small producers and laboratories from its use. Thus, it is important to develop low-cost protocols to increase the competitiveness of micropropagation. The goal of the present study was to elaborate a low-cost culture medium that would allow plant growth without diminishing plant quality and production. The replacement of laboratory sucrose with commercial sugar as a carbon source, and laboratory agar with locally produced agar as a gelling agent was tested. To validate the effects of the medium for woody species micropropagation, two relevant forest species, chestnut and birch, were used and several phenotypic characteristics were recorded. Our data indicated that the substitutions made in the media composition did not alter growth or rooting parameters. Substitution of laboratory sucrose and Bacto agar by table sugar and local commercial agar provides a valuable alternative for forest species micropropagation and for increasing their potential profitability.