Abstract
The study presents the results of an analysis of the spatial variability of geologic and climatic factors that predetermine the natural potential of forest sites in Slovakia, as well as the relations between these factors and the natural presence and productivity of tree species. Several national classification systems that combine the existing and newly designed regional and site units were examined and compared in terms of explained variability of both natural presence and productivity of the main tree species in Slovakia: oak, beech, and spruce. Forest management data describing the presence and the productivity of these tree species were extracted from the sample file of the representative forest stands and utilized for the analysis. Maximization of explained variability and minimization of the number of units were predefined as desirable capabilities of a suitable classification system. The results show that including the regional level is a beneficial contribution to the classification system. Generally, combinations of site and regional units explain approximately 50–70 % of the total variability of the tree species’ natural presence, but only about 15–25 % of the total variability of tree species production. A site classification system composed of a maximum of 8 units on the regional level and 80 units on the site level appears to be sufficient for strategic forest management in natural conditions in Slovakia.
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