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Projects / Programmes source: ARIS

Adaptive management in spruce forests in Slovenia

Research activity

Code Science Field Subfield
4.01.01  Biotechnical sciences  Forestry, wood and paper technology  Forest - forestry 

Code Science Field
B430  Biomedical sciences  Sylviculture, forestry, forestry technology 

Code Science Field
4.01  Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences  Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries 
Keywords
spruce, spruce management, silviculture, tree mortality, climate change, bar betlees, adaptive forest management
Evaluation (rules)
source: COBISS
Researchers (14)
no. Code Name and surname Research area Role Period No. of publicationsNo. of publications
1.  14869  PhD Gregor Božič  Forestry, wood and paper technology  Researcher  2016 - 2019  510 
2.  15493  PhD Matjaž Čater  Forestry, wood and paper technology  Researcher  2016 - 2019  301 
3.  29092  PhD Maarten De Groot  Forestry, wood and paper technology  Researcher  2016 - 2019  708 
4.  29164  PhD Mitja Ferlan  Forestry, wood and paper technology  Researcher  2016 - 2019  222 
5.  39600  PhD Jernej Jevšenak  Forestry, wood and paper technology  Researcher  2018 - 2019  106 
6.  16067  PhD Andrej Kobler  Forestry, wood and paper technology  Researcher  2016 - 2019  289 
7.  17333  Robert Krajnc    Technical associate  2016 - 2019  56 
8.  15108  PhD Lado Kutnar  Forestry, wood and paper technology  Researcher  2016 - 2019  803 
9.  11595  PhD Tomislav Levanič  Forestry, wood and paper technology  Head  2016 - 2019  616 
10.  20842  PhD Aleksander Marinšek  Forestry, wood and paper technology  Researcher  2016 - 2019  387 
11.  23448  PhD Nikica Ogris  Forestry, wood and paper technology  Researcher  2016 - 2019  1,213 
12.  32045  PhD Simon Poljanšek  Forestry, wood and paper technology  Researcher  2016 - 2017  45 
13.  08604  PhD Cvetka Ribarič Lasnik  Plant production  Researcher  2016 - 2019  278 
14.  24343  PhD Marjana Westergren  Forestry, wood and paper technology  Researcher  2016 - 2019  409 
Organisations (2)
no. Code Research organisation City Registration number No. of publicationsNo. of publications
1.  0404  Slovenian Forestry Institute  Ljubljana  5051673000  12,023 
2.  2434  Institute of Environmental and Spatial Planning  Velenje  2194015  282 
Abstract
The demands for adaptive forest management addressing climate-change increase for both practical forestry and policy makers. Uncertainty of changes and vulnerability of tree species limit practitioners in use of new management concepts. Additionally, knowledge about spruce plasticity and response of spruce to environmental changes on different site conditions and under different regimes of management further limit the use of adaptive forest management. Within the project we will collect new knowledge on tree response to environmental stresses and on vulnerability of spruce forests in different site conditions. This will serve as a guidelines for required measures after extreme events and as a basis for adaptive forest management in the future. Project focuses on: 1 - how to manage Norway spruce in the future? Identification of vulnerable sites based on climate scenarios and soil water storage in respect to potential attacks by bark beetles and other factors and 2 - connecting tree response (growth, physiological response, mortality) with past extreme events by growth analysis and physiological response in different climates, sites and stand conditions to define plasticity and response for new management approaches. Climate-resilient forest management will invoke a stakeholder process in order to provide optimal solutions for practitioners and to ensure that tree species change, shorter rotation periods at vulnerable sites etc. are addressed properly in the process. Defining limitations on vulnerable sites will have direct impact on economy and forest growth models, driven by climate factors and site-specific characteristics. Verifying current models with updated responses will provide trade-off between establishment of new forests, regeneration and/or preserving high-risk forest stands. Communication using brochures, interactive mapping tools and educational programs will provide sufficient background to support decisions at expert and political level.
Significance for science
Pure and mixed spruce stands are abundant and naturally distributed in northern, central and montane parts of Europe, where forest management with Norway spruce contributes major part in local economy and wellbeing. At the same time represent spruce stands valuable protection forests and habitats of numerous species in the region. Proposed project will highlight actual problematic targeting spruce stands, direct beneficiaries are forest practitioners from Slovenian Forestry Service, also project co-workers that will benefit guidelines based on realistic and locally specific information about spruce responses and its main limiting factors. Guidelines will be used in forest adaptive forest management planning that would mitigate effects of extreme weather events including active and passive adaptation elements, resistance, resilience and response options. A complete work package is designed to the dissemination of results that are targeting forest practitioners, forest owners and policy makers.
Significance for the country
Chain of custody between forestry and wood technology-sector bases on local resources and raw materials, where Norway spruce represents one of economically most important tree species. IN particular spruce wood, with its multi-purpose application, solid durability and favourable physio-mechanical characteristics is of recognized high quality and represents resources for the Slovenian wood - sawmill and wood technology industry. Decrease in abundance of the species would have enormous ecological and economic consequences in the region and wider, therefore the preservation of the species represents the key- strategic priorities for the country. With proposed project a comprehensive analysis of the Norway spruce stands would be provided along with possible future scenarios, including resilience and adaptive forest management due to increasing extreme weather events. Our goal is long-term preservation of resources and maintenance of all ecosystem functions in the future. Important goals are forest management and silvicultural guidelines for forest practitioners, forest owners and policy & decision-makers, which would have direct and long-term oriented consequences.
Most important scientific results Annual report 2018, final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results Annual report 2018, final report
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