NATURE-BASED FORESTRY IN CENTRAL EUROPE Alternatives to Industrial Forestry and Strict Preservation Edited by Jurij Diaci Studia Forestalia Slovenica Nr. 126 Strokovna in znanstvena dela št. 126 i UDK: 630*907(4-014) ISBN: 978-961-6020-44-2 Univerza v Ljubljani University of Ljubljana Biotehniška fakulteta Biotechnical Faculty Oddelek za gozdarstvo in Department of Forestry and obnovljive gozdne vire Renewable Forest Resources Slovenija Slovenia NATURE-BASED FORESTRY IN CENTRAL EUROPE Alternatives to Industrial Forestry and Strict Preservation Ljubljana 2006 The publication was subsidised by the Slovenian Research Agency and Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food iii Published by Department of Forestry and Renewable Forest Resources - Biotechnical Faculty CIP - Kataložni zapis o publikaciji Narodna in univerzitetna knjižnica, Ljubljana 630*907(4-014) NATURE-based forestry in Central Europe [Elektronski vir] : alternatives to industrial forestry and strict preservation / editor in chief Jurij Diaci. - Ljubljana : Biotehniška fakulteta, Oddelek za gozdarstvo in obnovljive gozdne vire = Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Forestry and Renewable Forest Resources, 2006. - (Studia forestalia Slovenica : strokovna in znanstvena dela / Oddelek za gozdarstvo in obnovljive gozdne vire, Biotehniška fakulteta ; št. 126) Dostopno tudi na: http://www.bf.uni-lj.si/gozdarstvo/oddelek/katedre/goj_gozd/ objave/Nature-based_forestry_in_CE.pdf ISBN-10 961-6020-44-7 ISBN-13 978-961-6020-44-2 1. Diaci, Jurij 230741504 Editor in Chief Jurij DIACI International Editorial Board Prof. Dr. Marijan Kotar, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia Prof. em. Dr. Dr. hc Jean-Philippe Schütz, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich Prof. Dr. Pietro Piussi, University of Florence, Italy Acad. Prof. em. Dr. Dr. hc Slavko Matić, University of Zagreb, Croatia Prof. em. Dr. Dr. hc Dušan Mlinšek, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia Prof. Dr. Jurij Diaci, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia Proof reading and cover drawing Technical Editor and Page design Thomas Andrew Nagel Uroš Kolar Print Tiskarna Pleško d.o.o. Rožna dolina c. IV/32-34 Printed in 2006 1000 Ljubljana 200 copies iv Contents Prof. Dr. Jurij DIACI Preface vii Prof. Dr. Elisabeth JOHANN Historical development of nature-based forestry 1 in Central Europe Prof. Dr. Dr. hc Slavko Natural management as an important factor of forest 19 MATIĆ protection and survival Prof. Dr. Pietro PIUSSI Close to nature forestry criteria and coppice management 27 Prof. Dr. Dr. hc Jean-Philippe Opportunities and strategies of biorationalisation 39 SCHUETZ of forest tending within nature-based management Prof. Dr. Heinrich SPIECKER Minority tree species - a challenge for multi-purpose forestry 47 Brice de TURCKHEIM Economic aspects of irregular, continuous and close to nature 61 silviculture (SICPN) - Examples about forests in France Dr. Hermann WOBST Combination of economic and ecological aspects by 79 close to nature forestry - A contribution to the economic crisis of forestry Prof. Dr. Dr. hc Dušan Close to nature forestry as the only true culture of a man’s 91 MLINŠEK activity Prof. Dr. Andrej BONČINA Protected forest management in Slovenia 105 Prof. Dr. Jurij DIACI Nature-based silviculture in Slovenia: origins, development 119 and future trends Prof. Dr. Milan HOČEVAR Development of forest monitoring methods for sustainable 133 Doc. Dr. David HLADNIK forest management in Slovenia MSc. Živan VESELIČ Practicing Mlinšek's nature-based forest tending under 147 contemporary circumstances in Slovenia Prof. Dr. Marijan KOTAR Sustainable and multipurpose forest management with 153 production of high quality timber v vi Preface Nature-based management started in and around Central Europe as a response to forest overexploitation and degradation in fragile mountain landscapes. Switzerland was the first country that prohibited clear-cut forest management by law in 1902. It was followed by Slovenia in 1948/49. In the last half of the century nature-based forestry gained more and more follow- ers across Central Europe, and elsewhere in Europe and the World in the last decade. Despite declared support for sustainable forest management by Europe- an societies, nature-based management is endangered by many circumstanc- es. One of the reasons is because it is more labour intensive. It is intrinsically bound to production of large diameter timber, to which many external benefits for the environment and society are linked, yet this represents a major ob- stacle for mechanization and rationalization. Furthermore, many European countries are increasingly importing cheep timber from abroad, while protect- ing large forest areas at home. However, there are also many tendencies favourable for development of nature-based forestry, such as the recurrent energy crises, rising consumption of wood, increasing demand for social and protection functions of forests, and emphasis on nature conservation. Therefore, favourable tendencies should be utilized in appropriate ways, while at the same time much effort should be invested in overcoming the devel- opmental constraints. In this way, nature-based forestry, which for more than two hundred years remained in the shadow of conventional forestry, may for the first time in history face an important expansion and development, which would significantly raise the quality of life in Europe. This volume contains contributions from thirteen experts in the field of nature-based forestry, from practising foresters with excellent long-term ex- amples of natural multipurpose managed forests to university teachers and vii researchers. The main objectives of the book are to: (1) present the historical development of nature-based forestry, (2) point out contemporary problems, developmental constraints, and forest threats, (3) draw attention to possible consequences of decreased forest tending and increased non-management, (4) discuss the possible answers and solutions, (5) expose the rationality of con- tinual nature-based management of forests and their resources, and (6) stimu- late discussion on solutions and encourage professional and political alli- ances to promote nature-based forest management in Europe and the World. One of the important aims of this book is also to demonstrate that nature based forestry is, in contrast to common understanding, more than solely a Swiss selection system or continuous cover forestry. It is based on natural processes, and therefore it freely and smoothly combines different silvicultural systems. Nature based forestry is successfully applied in various circumstanc- es from multipurpose production forest, to protection and urban forests. More- over, it has, due to its flexibility, a great potential for adaptation to special demands and further development. Nevertheless, nature based forestry is closely linked to different geo- graphical regions with various cultural environments. Therefore, we would like to note that the viewpoints and ideas of each individual author are not necessarily shared by all the contributors in this book. Instead, the various viewpoints found in this collection of papers represent a broad continuum of ideas encompassed by nature based forestry in Central Europe, some of which are more oriented toward preservation, while others are more oriented toward management. The book will serve as an overview of contemporary paradigms, ideas, solutions and overall, examples of good practices for development, and hope- fully future expansion of nature-based forestry. It is based on the experiences from Central European forestry practice, yet it cannot be used as scheme for practical work. For this, interested foresters or forest owners should step in contact with Pro-silva Europaea regional organizations. The book can be used by practising foresters, forest owners, researchers, landscape ecologist and planners, forestry students, nature conservation experts, as well as the broader forest interested public. The work is dedicated to the 80th birthday of Prof. Dr. Dr. hc Dušan Mlinšek, former president of IUFRO, who has significantly shaped the con- temporary doctrine of nature-based forestry in Slovenia, Central Europe, and the World. I especially thank the members of the international editorial board Prof. Marijan Kotar, Prof. Jean-Philippe Schütz, Prof. Pietro Piussi, Prof. Slavko Matić and Prof. Dušan Mlinšek for their useful comments. Construc- tive reviews of all of the manuscripts were provided by Prof. Franc Gašperšič viii and Dr. Primož Simončič. For help with language and style I am grateful to Thomas A. Nagel. All these efforts greatly improved the manuscript. I also thank Uroš Kolar for translation of some papers, precise technical work, and overall logistics. I acknowledge the financial support from the Slovenian Re- search Agency and Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, which enabled the printing of this book. Prof. Dr. Jurij Diaci ix x E. Johann: Historical development of nature-based forestry in Central Europe Historical development of nature-based forestry in Central Europe Elisabeth Johann* Abstract The expansion of human society has always influenced the features of forest eco- systems. Each period of human history has been characterized by the presence of a certain type of forest according to human activities. The historical development of Central European silviculture goes back to the formation of economic systems in the time of early capitalism. It was set off by an increasing need for available timber, which resulted in clear cuttings and artificial