KEY MESSAGES
Forests cover one third (33.7%) of the Czech
Republic and provide natural environmental
potential for the landscape. The Czech
Republic belongs to one of ten countries
within the EU which have the largest forest
coverage.
REFERENCES AND OTHER INFORMATION
6 Ministry of Agriculture – http://www.mze.cz
6 Ministry of the Environment – http://www.mzp.cz
6 Forestry and Game Management Research Institute
– http://www.vulhm.cz
6 Forest Management Institute – http://www.uhul.cz
6 Agency for Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection of the
Czech Republic – http://www.nature.cz
6 CENIA, the Czech Environmental Information Agency
From the environmental aspect, forests
provide a number of eco-system services such
as erosion elimination, soil formation, water
cycle regulation, landscape water retention,
flood reduction, recreation, etc.
– http://www.cenia.cz
6 Czech Statistical Office – http://www.czso.cz
6 Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, the Faculty
of Forestry and Wood Sciences – http://www.fld.czu.cz
6 Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry in Brno, the Faculty
of Forestry and Wood Technology – http://www.ldf.mendelu.cz
Forests
6 The České Švýcarsko National Park Administration
– http://www.npcs.cz
The current health status of Czech forests is
not optimal because of a number of factors.
The greatest problems are caused by
a simplified species composition – spruce and
pine monocultures.
The condition of forests is also negatively
impacted by the past high emissions of
pollutants from industry and the energy
sector, and the current high emissions of
pollutants from transportation, as well as
large numbers of cloven-hoofed animals.
Approximately 28% of the forested area is
a specially protected landscape area, national
park or national nature reserve.
6 The Podyjí National Park Administration
– http://www.nppodyji.cz
6 The Krkonoše National Park Administration
– http://www.krnap.cz
6 The Šumava National Park and Protected Landscape Area
Administration – http://www.npsumava.cz
THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC
© 2008, CENIA, the Czech Environmental Information Agency
Translation: Lucie Kráglová
Graphic design: Daniela Řeháková
Print: Studio Press s.r.o.
Contact:
CENIA, the Czech Environmental Information Agency
Litevská 8, 100 05 Praha 10
www.cenia.cz, info@cenia.cz, tel: +420 267 225 340
This publication was made with the financial assistance
of the State Environmental Fund of the Czech Republic.
Printed on chlorine-free paper.
THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC
FOREST FUNCTIONS
THREE SPECIES COMPOSITION
Forests cover one third (33.7%) of the Czech Republic and provide natural
environmental landscape potential. In spite of the large share of the
country’s total area, the proportion of forest management in the gross added
value in 2006 was only 0.69%, largely due to logging. The real importance and
position of forest management within the national economy is not based only on
the value of produced and sold wood, but mainly on the value of eco-system
services, such as erosion protection, soil formation, climate impact, water cycle
regulation, leisure activities, elimination of disease spreading, improvement of
the landscape, etc., that has not been fully acknowledged.
The biomass of forests binds a significant amount of carbon dioxide, which is
a reason why planting new forests is viewed as one way of eliminating a further
increase of this gas in the atmosphere. Forests also capture dust particles and
help to eliminate some pollutants from the air.
The existence of coniferous tress with a predominance of spruce and pine was
75.1% as of the end of 2006. Since the end of 2000, it has decreased by only
1.7% in favour of deciduous trees. As far as non-indigenous trees are concerned,
black locust (0.55%) and exotic spruce species (0.5%) account for the greatest
share. The recommended composition in production forests assumes 64.4%
conifers, with a predominance of spruce (36.5%). Deciduous trees account for
35.6%, with beech being the most common species (18%).
FOREST HEALTH STATUS
FOREST PRODUCTION ABILITY
The current condition of forests in the Czech Republic cannot be viewed as
optimal because of a number of factors. The most significant problems decreasing
the value of forest eco-systems, including the biodiversity and the long-term
production ability of forests, mainly stem from the significantly simplified species
compositions resulting from intense planting of spruce and pine monocultures
during the last century and their current significant presence. Mountain ecosystems, especially in the western and northern border areas, are largely affected
by the emissions of chemical agents from industry, energy generation and
transportation. In spite of the fact that these emissions have significantly
dropped over the last 15 years, their impact on the forests’ health is still evident.
The condition of forests in many areas is negatively influenced by excessive
numbers of cloven-hoofed animals and recreational facilities.
The health status of forests has been monitored since 1986 based on the
defoliation level in monitored areas within the ICP Forests programme. It monitors
and evaluates the air pollution impact on forests. Sine 2004, the ICP Forests
programme has run simultaneously with a new European project related to the
monitoring of forests and environmental impact in European Community forests.
The production ability of forest stands shows the overall average increment,
which was 17.6 million m3 excl. bark in 2007 and the growth of timber stocks,
which more than doubled between 1930 and 2007. In 2007, 18.51 million m3
were produced, and random production accounted for 80.4% largely due to
extensive windthrow damage. 93.3% of the total production was conifers, and
85% of that was spruce.
%
60
40
20
0
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
The defoliation values are divided into five basic classes; the last three
indicate severely damaged trees.
Class 0 – none (0–10%)
Class 3 – strong (61–99%)
Class 1 – moderate (11–25%)
Class 4 – dead trees (100%)
Class 2 – medium (26–60%)
When comparing the percentage of forested land owned by the state, the
Czech Republic ranks seventh. Of the total forested area in Europe, 89.8% of
the forests are public. In the Czech Republic, it is 75.7%.
Total growing stock
100
80
%
60
40
20
Timber harvesting
Class 3 + 4
Class 2
Class 1
Sw
itz
er
lan
d
Slo
ve
ni
a
Slo
va
kia
ia
Au
str
Po
lan
d
Ge
rm
an
y
h
Re
0
Hu
ng
ary
0
pu
bli
c
3.75
Timber harvesting [mil. m3]
100
2007
7.50
2006
200
2004
11.25
2005
300
2002
15.00
2003
18.75
400
2000
500
1980
22.50
1990
600
1970
26.25
1960
30.00
700
1930
800
Cz
ec
Class 4
Class 3
Class 2
Class 1
Class 0
80
The Czech Republic is one of the ten most forested countries in the EU. As
measured by the ownership of forests, the country is seventh and it ranks sixth
in European logging.
[%], 2006
Source: Forestry and Game Management Research Institute
[mil. m3], 1930–2007
Source: Forest Management Institute, Czech Statistical Office
0
100
AN INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON
3 An international comparison of all tree species by defoliation classes
3 Total growing stock and timber harvesting in the Czech Republic
1950
Republic [%], 1990–2007
Source: Forestry and Game Management Research Institute
61.52% of Czech forests are owned by the state; 2 651 000 ha, i.e. 15.85% are
owned by municipalities, 0.15% by regions, 1.20% by forest associations, 2.27%
by legal entities, 0.06% by churches and 18.95% by private owners. Most private
owners (currently more than 130 000 individuals) work on forests up to 5 ha.
Total growing stock [mil. m3]
3 The defoliation trend in conifers older than 60 years in the Czech
TO WHOM DO FORESTS BELONG?
Approximately 28% of forested area is a specially protected landscape area,
national park or nature reserve. In 2007, the Ministry of Agriculture, in
conjunction with the Ministry of the Environment, prepared an update to the
National Forestry Programme for 2007–2013 in line with the EU Forestry
Action Plan. The National Forestry Programme II that was approved on
1 October 2008 should become a strong supporting document for the
preparation of a new forest act, the rationalisation of financial assistance
meant for forest management and the regulation of research and other
activities that belong to the broader framework of forestry policy. The
objective of the programme is to take into consideration all forestry aspects,
increase societal awareness of the importance of forests and to create
a platform for issue resolution.
Class 0
FORESTRY POLICY
FORESTS IN ŠUMAVA NATIONAL PARK
Both the professional and the general public in the Czech Republic have only
now started to slowly view forests as a natural resource with an irreplaceable
role in maintaining biodiversity and as a provider of eco-system services.
Sustainable development principles are slowly being introduced. Sustainable
forest management certification allows consumers the ability to opt for
products on the market that respect environmental protection. It provides
a guarantee to wood processors and end users that the wood comes from
sources that comply with sustainable management criteria, the PEFC
(Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes) and FSC
(Forest Stewardship Council) certification. In 2007, 70.7% of forests received
PEFC certification, while for FSC it was only 0.64%.
A typical location affected by the spruce beetle (bark beetle) is the Šumava
National Park. In 2007, protective measures against the spruce beetle were
gradually introduced in the national park, totalling 10 440 traps. 101 177 m3
of wood has been sanitized in forests where spruce sanitation by biocides was
approved under a government exemption.
Forests in the most precious parts of the national parks are left to
spontaneous development because it is a national park, not a production
forest. Hurricane Kyrill showed how harmful interference with the natural
forest development is. The windstorm caused damage in areas where trees
used to be cut because of the bark beetle. Measures that are being adopted
now will lead to long-term viable eco-systems in Šumava National Park.