engleski

Silvicultural research in national parks of Croatia-example of NP "Risnjak"

In recent years we can witness fierce discussions about the strategies concerning protected natural values, on different levels from political to public information. In protected areas natural resources, often including the forests, are used by many subjects with various intentions and rights. Different subjects often act independently, with differing, even conflicting interests, value systems, aims, and knowledge base. We, as foresters, are naturally interested in the forest components of the protected natural resources. Fundamental issues arises on how to synchronize necessity of maintaining the stability of forest ecosystems with the ambition of man to use it for the satisfaction of its needs. In other words, the main question is: how to define the optimal condition that can satisfy these conflicting demands. Primarily, our research pertains to the silvicultural aspects with emphasis on the possibility of natural regeneration as a basis for the stability and survival of forest ecosystems. In this contribution we present some of the results from the research of stand structure, regeneration processes, features of young growth, conditions for its development, and some possibilities for the application of new ways of monitoring of the stand structure development by the methods of three-dimensional visualization of the horizontal and vertical stand structure. Data was collected through the long-term research efforts on the permanent research plot in the common beech and silver fir stand (Omphalodo-Fagetum Marinček et al. 1992) situated in the "Risnjak" national park. Existing knowledge base, to which this research adds, confirms that forest science and praxis, due to its rich tradition, have the knowledge, possibility, but also an obligation, to help forest ecosystems to permanently fulfill their intended roles. Precondition for maintaining the forest ecosystems in national parks in stabile equilibrium without physiological weakening, demands active approach to their conservation along with proactively promoting positive natural processes. In Croatian silviculture two main principles are considered important for this task. Firstly, the best possible forest from the production point of view is also biologically most stable forest that can provide maximum forest externalities. And secondly, expert silvicultural measures are both the condition and the way through which we can use the productive functions of the forests as well as to ensure its protection and natural regeneration. Activities should be primarily focused on the plural-integral active approach to protection, in which advantage is given to the preservation of the genetic resources, biodiversity and carbon sequestration. Strict protection of the forests in which would be possible to achieve some features of secondary old-growth forests through time, should only be applied to reasonably large areas and subjected to the multidisciplinary scientific research. Further on, it is important to develop and improve monitoring methodologies to oversee natural development of the forests on the networks of permanent experimental plots. Number of plots and the intensity of measurements should be adjusted to our needs and possibilities. This area of forestry needs intensification of the research efforts, and our contribution illustrates this need.

national park; stand structure; natural regeneration; fir; beech

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