Abstract
The precipitation deficit, heat waves and subsequent drought significantly affected the forests in the Czech Republic. Primarily, forests were affected by physiological insufficiency and later by biotic and abiotic factors. On the initiative of the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic, a study of the condition and damage of forest functions in the model area was formulated. The study was aimed at the model locality of the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, especially the forest management unit of the Da?ice municipality (South Bohemian Region). The study uses certified national methodologies for evaluating forest function damage (Vyskot et al. 2003; Vyskot et al. 2014). This paper specifies the state and damage of the bio-production function depending on the represented forest management groups, stand types of woody plants and age phases of stands, in terms of value (in %) and finance in Czech koruna (CZK, the currency of the Czech Republic). In particular, spruce stands and their dominant mixtures of non-matured and fully matured trees were affected by major damage of a destructive nature. Due to the changed ecosystem conditions, a modified concept of forest management was proposed.
Highlights
Large areas of the Czech Republic forests are in critical condition
Long-term natural impacts and disturbances, several-year precipitation deficit resulting in extreme drought, pandemics of insect pests, extensive damage by game and inappropriate forms of farming cause large-scale death of vegetation throughout the Czech Republic
The huge damage to forests is mostly perceived as wood losses, the impact on the so-called ecosystem functions are greatly underestimated
Summary
Large areas of the Czech Republic forests are in critical condition. Long-term natural impacts and disturbances, several-year precipitation deficit resulting in extreme drought, pandemics of insect pests, extensive damage by game and inappropriate forms of farming cause large-scale death of vegetation throughout the Czech Republic. The huge damage to forests is mostly perceived as wood losses, the impact on the so-called ecosystem functions are greatly underestimated Forests are losing their ecological stability, resistance and resilience, water management capabilities, soil protection potential and other ecosystem and societal effects. The dynamics of functional effects of forest stands, its quantification and evaluation as part of the issue of ecosystem services, has already been presented by numerous studies (Vyskot, Schneider, Kozumplíková, 2016; Schneider et al 2013; Vyskot, Kozumplíková 2018) In response to this critical condition of forests in the Czech Republic, in 2018, the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic commissioned a representative model study to assess and evaluate the condition and damage to forest functions due to changing ecosystem conditions. This paper specifies the losses on the bio-production function of forests as key indicators of the ownership efficiency of the forest property management of the Dačice municipality
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