Issues

Abstract

University of Forestry Sofia has the pleasure to invite you to participate in the International Scientific Conference 'Forestry: Bridge to the Future', which will take place on 6-9 May 2015 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
The Conference is dedicated to the 90th Аnniversary of higher forestry education in Bulgaria and is organized by the University of Forestry, Sofia and Faculty of Forestry.
The Conference sessions will be focused to the following topics: Impact of climate change on forest ecosystems, Adaptation strategies and mitigation, Forest health and protection, Disturbances and disturbance regimes in forests, Fires, windstorms and soil erosion, Forest-related and energy policies.
Eminent keynote speakers have confirmed their participation: Kevin O'HARA (University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA), Jean-Luc PEYRON (ECOFOR, France), Marcus LINDNER (European Forest Institute, Germany/Finland), and Ivan RAEV (Forest Research Institute, Sofia, Bulgaria).
All information regarding the Conference and its facilities: registration, accommodation, payments, program, abstract submission can be found on the official conference web-site: http://conf2015.forestry-ideas.info
We shall look forward to meet you in Sofia in 2015.

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the past experience from the creation of Korostyshev Park, monument of landscape art. The current state of parkland and its structure is examined with historical, taxonomic, landscape and aesthetic evaluation of park area is conducted perspective. The methods and ways of reconstruction of the parkland are elaborated.

Abstract

In the more forested areas of Iran, rural people are in close relationship with natural resources, especially forests. This close association endangers the dynamics and sustainability of forest ecosystems. Hence, we investigated the effects of grazing and human uses on woody plant diversity, composition and forest structure in beech forests of northern Iran. We thus compared a 50-ha area protected against livestock and human disturbances to a 50-ha unprotected area. In each area, we recorded tree species, diameter at breast height (DBH) of merchantable trees, and stem numbers of shrub species in 1000-m2 plots established in a random-systematic sampling design. These data allowed us to compute diversity indices separately for tree and shrub layers. Results revealed that tree density, mean tree DBH and total basal area were significantly higher in the protected than in the unprotected area. However, in both the tree and the shrub layers, values of Shannon diversity, evenness index, richness, and shrub density were lower in the protected area than in the unprotected area. Because forest structure, composition and diversity are closely associated with human traditional activities, we recommend that conservation programs be implemented in collaboration with local people to help establish effective management aiming at providing services for local people while restoring these forests.

Abstract

Seeds of Judas tree (Cercis siliquastrum L.) are characterized by coat-imposed dormancy related to the hardness and impermeability of their coat, and by endosperm dormancy due to the presence of ferulic acid around the seed endosperm, acting as chemical inhibitor. Some compounds including nitric acid gas, NO, NO2-, NO3-, nitrogen dioxide, ammonium, azide and cyanide stimulate germination process of different species. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of seed priming technique on some morphological characteristics of Cercis siliquastrum seeds. The results showed that seed priming with boiling water and nitrogenous compound could improve seed germination characteristics. Seed germination and survival were significantly affected by priming treatment with boiling water and chemical salts (p < 0.001). The greatest germination rate was observed with 500 mM KNO3 for 48 h, while seed germination speed and shoot dry weight were maximized with 100 mM NH4NO3 for 48 h, vigor index with 500 mM NH4NO3 for 24 h and root dry weight with 100 mM NH4NO3 for 24 h. In addition, sodium chloride and potassium chloride treatments could not improve the germination characteristics and seedlet survivals of Cercis siliquastrum. These results confirmed that application of boiling water treatment and nitrogen-containing compounds could enhance germination rate and further seedling quality, and these treatments are thus extremely recommended in nurseries for improving seedling yield.

Abstract

In this study, which has been carried out in natural beech gap regeneration field in division 56c in
oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) forest in Bartın-Hasankadı Forest Range District Directorate,
the relationship between the number of young beeches and gap shape, gap direction, and gap size
has been investigated. According to the findings obtained, it was determined that there is a significant
relationship between gap shape and the number of natural beech juvenilities (P<0.01). According to
the result of Duncan test performed within this scope, in P<0.05 confidence level, during 4 years of
investigation was determined that the beech juvenilities densely occur in oval-shaped gaps, followed by
round-shaped and rectangle-shaped gaps, respectively. On the other hand, according to the bilateral
regression analysis, it was determined that there is a 98% (R2=0.98) linear relationship between the
gap shape and the number of beech juvenilities. The relationships between gap direction and the
number of beech juvenilities were examined in this research. According to the performed variance
analysis (P<0.01), it was found that there is a statistically significant difference between gap directions.
That is why, as a result of Duncan test performed at the confidence level of P<0.05, it was determined
that the number of beech juvenilities is more dense in northern parts of the gaps, and consequently
the north takes first place in terms of the number of juvenility, and that north is followed by west
and east beech directions, respectively. When considering the result of bilateral regression analysis
performed in this direction, it was determined that there is a 96% linear relationship (R2=0.96) between
the number of juvenility and the direction of gap. Accordingly, as the direction of the gap changes from
shadowy to sunny exposures, significant decrease occurs in the number of oriental beech juvenilities.
In this study carried out in division 56c in Hasankadi region, the relationship between the number of
beech juvenilities located in various sized gaps and the size of gap was investigated, and it has been
tried to determine the optimal gap size. Within this scope, 10 different gap sizes were examined in
this research. As a result of performed variance analysis (P<0.001 confidence level), it was found that
there are statistically significant differences among gaps in terms of the number of juvenilities in gaps.
After determining this difference, Duncan test was implemented in order to categorize the varioussized
gaps according to the number of juvenility. As a result of this test, it was determined that 400 m2,
500 m2 and 600 m2-sized gaps are in 1st category in terms of the number of juvenility, while ones
having sizes of 100 m2, 200 m2 and 300 m2 are in 2nd category, and the ones having sizes of 700 m2,
800 m2, 900 m2 and 1000 m2 are in 3rd category.

Abstract

The research considers all Norway maple seed sources included in the National Register of
Forestry Seed Production Base in Bulgaria. Also, all forest stands and plantations where Norway
maple shares more than 50 % of the composition were selected from the National Data Base of
Forest Territories in Bulgaria. The age, mean height and diameter at breast height (DBH) were
determined. For the plantations, where the initial planting design was known, the percentage of survival
was calculated. For estimation of growing indicators, Tables for High Beech Stands were used,
according to the accepted Equivalency List of Tables for Tree Species and Used Abbreviations.
The site index, height rates, density (DS), basal area (Gba) and volume (V) per 1 ha, mean annual
diameter increment (Zd) and mean annual height increment (Zh) were calculated. The selection category
of the stands was defined according to the height, in the tables for growth and productivity for
High-stemmed beech stands, I-st site index. For determining the selection structure of the stands,
the categorization of trees, accepted in the method for analysis of forest plantations was used. The
altitude of the forest stands, where the Norway maple predominates, varies from 100 to 1000 m
with mean value of 400 m. Both natural stands and plantations are located in habitats, categorized
as moderately-rich to rich. The moisture level of the soils is relatively good - from fresh to humid.
The terrain expositions of the stands are heterogeneous i.e. 61 % of them are located on shady
and 39 % on sunny expositions. The analysis of silvicultural and dendrometric characteristics of the
investigated objects shows that Norway maple could have predominantly participation in both forest
plantations and natural forest stands. The intensive height growth of the species was registered in
both the sub-belt of plane-hills Oak forests and the sub-belt of low-mountain forests of Sessile oak,
Common beech and Common fir. This fact shows its pliability to the habitats within the altitudes
from 150 to 900 m. The mean diameter at 1.3 m, in the 44-54 years old stands varies from 18 cm to
30 cm. In the category “absolute plus” fall the stands in SFS Berkovica, Vidin, Byala and Gurkovo.
However, the results show that the number of stands valuable from the breeding point of view with
predominant participation of Acer platanoides, is limited, especially in South Bulgaria. Meanwhile,
the presence of valuable phenotypes requires their conservation and wider use for production of
seedlings for forestry and urban planting.

Abstract

The effects of forest site conditions and age of stands on absolute density and community
structure of litter microarthropods were studied in pine forest in Zhytomyr Polissya, northern
Ukraine. Litter samples from cuts, non-closed, young, middle-aged, and mature stands in a mesofilic
pine forest (site condition A2) and mesofilic Pinetum compositum (site condition B2) were
collected, microarthropods were extracted, counted and identified to main taxa. Mean absolute
density of total microarthropods and their main taxa was higher in B2 site conditions for all ages
of stands, except the young. Within each type of forest site conditions, litter microarthropod density
fluctuated depending on the age of stands. However, the differences in absolute densities
for most microarthropod taxa were statistically significant only between stands of distant age
groups: between cuts and middle-aged or mature stands. Decreased absolute density of total
litter microarthopods, Acari, and Collembola observed in cut sites and non-closed stands may be
the result of forest floor disturbance associated with harvesting and decreased litter input. In microarthropod
community structure, relative densities of Mesostigmata and Astigmata increased,
whereas Collembola density decreased along forest age gradient. The differences were significant
in middle-aged and mature stands relative to cut sites.

Abstract

Fires are one of the most important disturbances in forests and they damage them. This study
was conducted to classify fire risk for a deciduous forest and to predict the locations of forest
stands for which fire control operations are required. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index
(NDVI) and Moisture Vegetation Index (MVI) were extracted from satellite imagery of IRS LISS III
and Landsat 7 ETM+, respectively. Altitude, slope aspect and slope gradient maps were obtained
from a digital elevation model using surface analysis in ArcMap. Buffers were created from 0 to
300, 300 to 600, 600 to 900 meters and over 900 meters along the road and around the cattle
pens as zones with different levels of fire risk. All the thematic layers were then integrated using
the overlay procedure in GIS. Results from the analytical hierarchy process showed that vegetation
indices were given the largest weight. The influence of slope gradient on fire behavior was assessed
the third largest weight. Slope aspect was assigned the same weight as to slope gradient.
The distance from roads and cattle-pens was evaluated with the fourth largest weight. 25 % of the
forest area is classified as area with very high degree of vulnerability to fire. This class is generally
distributed in the entire region, while areas with very low fire risk are found in the northern parts.

Abstract

The main objective of this investigation was to derive a dynamic third-generation whole-stand
model, which consists of a flexible system of mathematical equations presented graphically -
Stand Density Management Diagram (SDMD) - and allows good description of the development
of the stands over time. A new SDMD for Scots pine plantations in Bulgaria was elaborated that
included two improvements as compared to the preceding SDMD. The Natural thinning curves
(NTC) sub-model was presented in a dynamic equation form and was estimated over repeated
measurements data from permanent sample plots. The Equivalent height curves (EHC) submodel
was reformulated to include a site index-specific parameter, which produced SDMDs differentiated
by site index classes. The principal sub-models of the SDMD were fitted with high level of
determination and produced unbiased and statistically significant parameter estimates. The NTC
in generalized algebraic difference equation form provided the maximum possible model flexibility
by means of stand-specific shape and asymptote of these trajectories. The slope parameter of the
self-thinning asymptotes α had value of 1.74. The new model improvements added to its precision
and assured improved predictive abilities.

Abstract

The ectomycorrhiza has a great influence on vegetation and for the forest ecosystems it is essential.
The present review aims to provide brief information about main participants - myco- and
phytobionts in such a well-organized mutualistic association, their structural elements, function
and role in the natural processes. It also emphasizes that ectomycorrhizas has no equal value
through the fungal species. Furthermore the last complement each other in their ecological niches
and as a result we can observe optimal exploration of site which is very outlined in habitats, where
there is a deficit on one or more mineral elements. Describing ectomycorrhizal mycocoenosis is
very challenging task and provide valuable information about all the community as a whole. For
this, the molecular markers are excellent tools but must be combined with morphological and
anatomical studies, because only thorough studies can bring better understanding of the driving
processes at ecosystem levels.