Minimum size of the reserve to be left to the spontaneous development
Minimum area of forests left to spontaneous development in protected areas (format .pdf, 404kB)
Author: Doc. RNDr. STANISLAV VACEK, DrSc., Forestry and Game Management Research Institute, Research Station Opočno, Na Olivě 550, 517 73 Opočno, Czech Republic
ABSTRACT:
Search for ecological criteria for decisions on forests to be left to spontaneous development in specially protected areas is based on the knowledge of regularities of autochthonous or natural forests. They are mainly relative constancy of the species composition of communities, relative all-agedness, relative equability of growing stock and relatively small areas of the particular developmental phases and stages. They will lead to the maintenance of ecological autonomy and equability of natural forest; their basic condition is to determine a minimum range (area) of forest stand when the populations are still maintained by autoregulation. The output of this study is applicable methodology and tests of its applicability in 36 localities in spruce woods, beech woods, mi- xed stands, scree forests, oak woods, floodplain forests and pine woods [in Šumava National Park (ŠNP), Krkonoše National Park (KNP), Protected Landscape Area (PLA) Broumovsko, PLA Český kras, PLA Jizerské hory Mts., in nature reserves at the foothills of the Orlické hory Mts. and in Polabí Lowland]. The objective was to define minimum ranges for natural environmental conditions and for two situations under the existing air pollution environmental conditions.
Developmental Dynamics of Virgin Forest Reserves in the Czech Republic
Authors: Tomáš Vrška, Libor Hort, Dušan Adam, Petra Odehnalová, David Horal
Forest Stand Texture
Developmental Stages and Phases:
- Stage of growth, phase of expiration
- Stage of growth
- Stage of optimum
- Stage of optimum, terminal phase
- Stage of disintegration
- Stage of disintegration, regeneration phase
Minimum size of the reserve to be left to the spontaneous development (according to the method of developmental stages and phases)
The determination of minimum size of the reserve to be left to the spontaneous development calls for as precise as possible mapping of developmental stages and phases. Then the following plot parameters must be determined as required for the calculation
- total area of each stage and phase
- number of plots for each stage and phase
- size of each plot
- mean acreage of plots for each stage and phase
- smallest and largest plots of each stage and phase
With respect to the randomness of natural selection a necessary representation is considered of at least five plots for each stage and phase in the reserve. This number cannot be stated objectively and should be considered a qualified estimate.
The calculation is made as follows:
- Largest plot + smallest plot + 3 x average plot size for each stage and phase (in total six partial results)
- Theoretical minimum acreage of the reserve to be left to the spontaneous development is the sum of the above partial results