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Most forest habitats, as defined and listed for their nature conservation importance in the Habitats Directive of the European Union and in the Bern Convention, result from centuries of human intervention. This paper explores the scope for, and the attitudes towards coppicing in Natura 2000 sites in some of the EU28 countries where coppice was historically one of the most important traditional silvicultural systems. A questionnaire survey was circulated to experts involved with Natura 2000 sites and case studies were conducted in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, to investigate attitudes to coppice silviculture within the framework of Natura 2000 site management plans. A list of forest habitat types capable of being managed as coppices was compiled and populated with sites at national and regional levels. At the regional level, management plans for the relevant forest habitat types in Natura 2000 sites were critically scrutinised together with other statutory, administrative or contractual measures. The results show that approaches to integrate coppice management into conservation plans differ widely. Examples of disparities are given and the possible causes discussed. A case is made for coppicing to be continued, where appropriate, as an important strategy in site management plans that aim to conserve habitats and improve forest biodiversity.

We investigated the disturbance to the surface of a skid trail caused by removing cut timber from inside the forest to the roadside by dragging using terrestrial laser scanning technology. We scanned the study site prior to taking any action, after skidding and after implementing post-harvesting reinstatement to the surface of the skid trail. From the point cloud obtained, we derived an irregular point field. We generated a triangulated irregular network which we then interpolated into a raster digital terrain model with a resolution of 1cm. By comparing the digital terrain models, we analysed the influence of skidding the timber and the influence of post-harvesting reinstatement upon the surface of the skid trail. The surface of the skid trail was most significantly affected in the area where the harvested logs were extracted and stacked for hauling. In the centre section of the trail, where the logs were dragged by a tractor, quite deep tracks were created and the intensity of soil disturbance was comparable to the handling section. The lowest intensity of soil disturbance was found in the area where the skid trail met the roadside. The post-harvesting reinstatement of the working area resulted in levelling the surface of the skid trail and the deepest tracks were filled in. The post-harvesting reinstatement caused a 12% increase of the volume of ruts, a 49% decrease of the volume of mounds of soil and a 6% increase of total soil volume change.

The goal of this paper was to investigate the possibility and verify the use of the software product “Image J” for the evaluation of the selected qualitative characters of wood as a renewable natural resource. For this purpose, the qualitative character “false heartwood” in beech wood was selected and evaluated in the sample of 63 logs. The aim was to compare the assessment of this qualitative character as it is performed today, namely by visual evaluation, against the use of the software product “Image J”, which is considered to be more precise in assessing this qualitative character. The difference in quality grades of wood assortments between the two methods has also been quantified, as well as the potential economic benefi ts in the practical use of this software product. The possibilities of its use in the evaluation and measurement of other wood qualitative characters have been described, specifi cally those in which the quantification of the affected area is decisive. The results clearly demonstrate that the current visual evaluation of these qualitative characters is not adequately precise and that therefore, in some cases, it underestimates the quality of timber.

The aim of this article was to analyze the development and rate of work accidents in the Slovak Republic (SR) and to compare the results with the status in the Czech Republic and Austria. The occurrence of fatal accidents in the forestry of SR was also studied, as well as the share of these accidents in the main activities of agriculture, forestry and fishing. Information about accidents was stored in a database system. Data were entered and edited using an original form. The absolutely highest rate of fatal work injuries was recorded in Austria in the sector of agriculture, forestry and fishing. In SR, agriculture, forestry and fishing was evaluated as the second most hazardous industry with 12 accidents per 109 791 workers. The share of fatal work accidents in the forestry of SR in the total amount of fatal work accidents in SR reached more than 10% in the year: 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2006.

The impact of rodent bark gnawing on common beech plantations was studied in the area of the Jeseníky Mts. in the course of four years. The extent of damage fluctuated significantly on 18 monitored plantations and was affected by a set of environmental factors, particularly by the altitude and herb layer character, which had a significant impact on the abundance and distribution of rodents. The ratio of grasses increased with decreasing altitude and conditioned the increasing abundance and occurrence of the field vole (Microtus agrestis), which proved to be the major pest in the area. Its impact was substantially more intensive (P < 0.05) than that of the more abundant bank vole (Myodes glareolus), whose abundance increased with increasing altitude, conditioned by higher numbers of its preferred dicotyledonous plants. However, the relation between an increase in abundance and the degree of damage was not significant in this species, unlike in the former. Although the damage of tree seedlings, caused by small rodents, can locally be serious, generally they do not generate an important impact on forest regeneration in mountainous regions.

The paper deals with the analysis of price changes of roundwood (spruce, fir and beech sawlog, fuelwood) and energy wood in Slovakia, Czech Republic and Austria during the period of 2008-+September 2011. At the beginning of the article, the authors identify the major factors influencing timber price trends such as legislation regarding technical standards for the quality grading of round wood, global economic recession, incidental felling and political influence. Consequently, detailed analysis of timber price changes in selected European counties is provided by means of line graphs. The results of the analysis revealed that demand for wood and wood products began to decrease in mid-2008. The most critical situation was in 2009, primarily in the softwood market, when prices bottomed out. However, recent trends indicate a gradual rise in timber prices. In the future, a slight increase of timber prices is expected, however other factors (such as economic development, lobbyist pressure, incidental felling and many others) may influence prices, which makes it difficult to predict their trend.

Approximately half of the Italian forest area is classified as coppice forest, mostly managed for the production of firewood. Chestnut (Castanea sativaMill.) coppice stands make exception, as they also produce more valuable assortments, such as sawlogs, poles and fencing materials. Hence the significantly higher industrial activity in chestnut coppice stands, and the rapid introduction of mechanized harvesting. This study deals with four different harvester units used for processing (delimbing – bucking) chestnut trees from coppice stands, at the landing. For these four different machines, time studies were conducted in order to estimate productivity and compare the performance. The results show that the processors can reach high productivities (7.7m^3/PMH0–19.8m3/PMH0). In one study the influence of tree form has been estimated, proving that the size of the branches and the shape of the stem have a significant effect on machine productivity. The difference can reach 2.3 m^3/PMH0 for stems with a volume of 0.2 m^3.

The scope of this paper is the analysis of occupational diseases occurred in forestry and wood processing industry (WPI) between 2000-2009. The aim of this analysis is to highlight the development of occupational diseases and the impact of selected factors on development trend. The basis for the analysis was the basic information on affected persons - gender, job, age and duration of exposure to harmful agents, as well as the information about specific diseases and factors that support the appearance of the disease. Data for the ten-year observation period were evaluated graphically and the correlation between the selected qualitative characteristics was determined by the method of contingency tables. An interesting result is the proportion of diseases among women in the WPI, which reaches nearly 40%, in forestry where men are mostly harmed. The most often represented disease in forestry is vibration disease. The total share of the three types of this disease (vibration disease of joints, bones, tendons and muscles; disease of blood vessels and nerves; other vibration diseases and combined diseases caused by vibration) accounts for up to 52% of all occupational diseases. In the wood processing industry the damage of workers’ hearing was the most frequently occurring harm.

Conversion of coniferous monocultures to more stable mixed stands is one of the crucial tasks of present forestry in the Czech Republic. One of the factors hampering this process is the activity of small rodents that can cause severe damage to young plantations in winter. Little knowledge is still available of the ecology of small mammals in the forest environment and of the factors influencing their distribution and extent of damage. In order to acquire relevant information on rodent impacts on forest regeneration, we mapped the cumulated damage to forest plantations in 13 regions within the Czech Republic in 2007 and 2008. We checked 19,650 trees of eight species on 393 plots. Broadleaves were affected by browsing much more than conifers (20% and 4%, respectively). Of the monitored species, beech was damaged the most frequently (26% individuals). Browsing intensity differed among the regions (6-60% browsed individuals). The least damaged were the plantations at the altitudes below 400 m a.s.l.; on higher located plots the browsing intensity showed no trend. The proportion of damaged trees increased with plantation age up to 6 years, then it did not vary significantly. This study has confirmed that rodents are an important factor with a negative influence on the regeneration of broadleaves. Bark browsing in young trees is affected by several factors and the prediction of damage is complicated. Further research should improve the prediction of the bark browsing threat to young plantations and at the same time the efficiency of protection against rodent-caused damage.

The community of small terrestrial mammals (STM) was studied on seven experimental plots characterizing forest stands in various stages of succession development and with different level of management from plantings through production/commercial stands to a forest reserve. Increased attention was paid to dominant species and their effects on the dynamics of the forest reserve. In total, eight species of STM were detected with the highest dominance and abundance of Apodemus flavicollis and Myodes glareolus. The total relative abundance of STM was significantly highest in plantings (P < 0.05). A. flavicollis was significantly most abundant in production beech stands (P < 0.05), differences in the abundance among the other STM species being insignificant. The highest diversity was also determined in plantings (P < 0.05) as typical ecotone sites. Different natural conditions of open and high forest sites were also reflected in different weight of specimens of dominant species of STM from these biotopes. In A. flavicollis, the difference was highly significant (P < 0.01) and in M. glareolus significant (P < 0.05). Both species significantly affected the forest reserve dynamics through the consumption of forest seeds, particularly of beechnuts (100% consumption of the 2007 crop). However, according to the proportion of natural regeneration from previous years, the reserve proved resistance to the impact of rodents caused by the consumption of seeds in a long-term horizon.

The aim of this article is to analyze the impact of the chosen meteorological phenomenon on the frequency of work accidents in the logging process in the Slovak forest sector. The article further evaluates the number of specific types of injuries, variations and sources of work accidents. Rain was the most frequently recorded meteorological phenomenon in the occurrence of accidents. Besides rain most injuries and wrenches were recorded on slippery surface and fractures occurred mostly during snowfall or in the presence of snow cover. Slips and falls were mostly recorded during rain as well as on slippery surface without the presence of any meteorological phenomena. The methods of analysis, synthesis and comparison were used In preparing this paper.

The population dynamics of wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) was studied in three forest complexes differing in food supply in the intensively managed landscape of southern Moravia. They included an old semi-natural floodplain forest dominated by oak (HL), production broadleaved forest with the predominance of oak and robinia (HA) and a pheasantry with various forest stands consisting of diverse species and age categories of trees with a quantity of additional food for additional feeding of pheasants and roe deer (RB). The population fluctuation within six-year monitoring was affected by seed years (acorn crops in 2003 and 2006), which resulted in an increase in the species population density in the next year. Statistically significant effects of the crop of acorns on the body weight of monitored species were also detected (P < 0.01, F = 1.44). Relative abundance differed significantly between the floodplain forest (HL) and RB and HA (P < 0.01). The two last-mentioned sites did not differ and only a trend of greater preference to the most variable biotope in RB was noted. It evidences the unsuitability of floodplain forest for the species. In spite of the food specialization in small seeds significant effects of the excess crop of acorns can result in a rapid increase in the Apodemus sylvaticus population which can then cause damage to the natural regeneration of oak or artificial regeneration by seeding although to a substantially smaller extent than the more harmful A. flavicollis.

In intensively managed landscape, the dynamics of the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus, Cg) populations was studied in three types of forest complexes which differed in food supply. The first type was an old semi-natural forest with dominance of oak (HL), the second was a production broad-leaved forest with dominant oak and black locust (HA), and the third was a pheasantry with a variable mixture of forest stands of various woody species and age with a permanent supply of food for pheasants and roe deer (RB). The population fluctuations in four years of research were influenced by the seed year (2003, oak mast harvest), so higher population densities remained for the next two years. The influence of mast crop on the weight of individuals was statistically significant (α = 0.05, P = 0.0484). Probable niche vacation (Apodemus flavicollis, Af densities lowered) was the reason for another high abundance year (2005). There were no significant differences in abundance between the localities as the Cg population was influenced comparably by the seed crop. There was only a tendency to prefer the most variable biotope in RB. There was a strong impact on the forest regeneration in tree plantings during the winter 2004/2005. The importance of abundance prediction by abundance monitoring was stressed as needed for impact prevention.

Communities of small terrestrial mammals were studied in the specific environment of two pheasantries in southern Moravia with different intensity of pheasant management and different diversity of biotopes (RB - intensive pheasantry, HJ - extensive pheasantry). In total, ten species from the order Rodentia and Insectivora were found there in 2002-2005. The rodents Apodemus flavicollis, A. sylvaticus and Clethrionomys glareolus dominated in these habitats. On the other hand, the populations of insectivores were very low, Crocidura leucodon and C. suaveolens being interesting species. RB with the higher variety of biotopes showed significantly higher diversity (P < 0.05) of small mammals (H' = 1.284, ten species determined) than HJ (H' = 1.112, five species determined). The higher intensity of management (the amount of chickens released per unit area and the amount of served food) in RB compared to HJ was not reflected in the relative abundance of the community of small terrestrial mammals (rA in RB = 11.82, in HJ = 11.85) nor in their evenness (E). The probability of difference was P > 0.05. A difference in the diversity of compared communities was conditioned by different diversity of biotopes.

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