<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The effects of fall and spring prescribed fires on large seedlings (0.3 to 1.3 m height) of oak and other hardwood species three years after a shelterwood harvest were examined in Richland Furnace and Zaleski State Forests in southern Ohio. Fall and spring burns appeared to be more deleterious to red oaks (<italic>Quercus rubra</italic> L., <italic>Q. velutina</italic> Lam., <italic>Q. coccinea</italic> Muenchh.) than white oaks (<italic>Q. alba</italic> L., <italic>Q. prinus</italic> L.). Red oak experienced reductions in numbers and canopy volume after spring burns, and canopy reductions after fall burns. White oak experienced small increases in numbers of stems after both fall and spring burns, and an increase in the canopy volume after fall burns, but a slight decrease after spring burns. Yellow-poplar (<italic>Liriodendron tulipifera</italic> L.), a major oak competitor prior to fire, experienced dramatic reductions in the number of regenerating stems and canopy volume after both fall and spring burns. On the other hand, red maple (<italic>Acer rubrum</italic> L.) experienced large increases in the number of regenerating stems and canopy volume after both fall and spring burns. Based on importance value, the oak species remained relatively unchanged after both fall and spring burns. Yellow-poplar became the least dominant species after spring burns and the second to last dominant species after fall burns.</abstract>

School of Environment and Natural Resources

Effects of burn season on large seedlings of oak and other hardwood regeneration three years after shelterwood harvest

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Changes in the areas and stock volumes of oak stands were analyzed within the six administrative regions in the plain area of Ukraine, based on forest management data (subcompartment database) as of 2001 and 2016. The studied regions geographically related to the Left-bank Forest-Steppe zone of Ukraine (Kyiv, Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, Cherkasy and Chernihiv Regions). The analyzed area was over 284,000 hectares. The paper outlines the present state of the oak stands, concerning their origin (vegetative, natural seed and planted seed stands). Forestry-taxation indices of the stands were determined by grouping the plots according to age and further clustering in four age groups. The natural regeneration under a canopy in oak stands was accounted and estimated using circular 10 m2 (<italic>R</italic> = 178 cm) accounting plots. The oak forests were found to be dominated by stands of vegetative (coppice) origin (57%). Planted seed-origin oak stands covered 101,000 ha or 36% of the total area (284,000 ha). Stands of natural seed origin amounted to 7%. From 2001 to 2016, the total area of oak forests in the study region decreased by nearly 7,000 hectares. The analysis of literature sources allowed identifying numerous factors, which have the greatest influence on the emergence, liveability, and growth of natural regeneration of pedunculated oak. Only 20% of the investigated oak stands were found to have a sufficient amount of oak regeneration. For the implementation of sustainable forest management, activities should be aimed at optimizing the age structure of oak forests and growing natural forests from seeds.</abstract>

O.M. Beketov National University of Urban Economy in Kharkiv

Ukrainian plain oak forests and their natural regeneration

<trans-abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Land abandonment studies have drawn scientists’ attention for more than a decade. Under the conditions of a growing world population and pressure to preserve the environment, there are still areas which are abandoned. Land abandonment occurs also in Estonia. The aim of the study is to assess the impact of the arable land plot features on the probability that land abandonment will occur on those plots. The occurrence of the brushwood on the arable land plots was used as the indicator that some areas of those plots are abandoned. The area of the plot, compactness, soil productivity, ratio of ameliorated land, roughness of land and the distance to the different objects were used for the description of the arable land plots. The study area covered Tartu County in Estonia and was based on the combination of the Estonian National Topographic Database vector data and land cover height model raster data provided by the Estonian Land Board. The study period covered the timeframe from 2011 to 2017 and consisted of 6,604 agricultural plots. The plots were divided into two groups (without and with brushwood) and the mean values of the indicators describing the features of the arable land plots were calculated for the groups. The binominal logistic regression analysis was also used to assess the potential (probability) of plots to be abandoned. Results of the study showed that the features of the arable land plots have an impact on the probability that land abandonment will occur on those plots.</trans-abstract>

Chair of Geomatics, Institute of Forestry and Rural Engineering

Tartu Observatory, Faculty of Science and Technology

Chair of Forest Management Planning and Wood Processing Technologies, Institute of Forestry and Rural Engineering

Haritava maa mahajätmine Tartu maakonnas

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">To date according to the registration work, the number of the Russian desman determined actually is 588 individuals in Mordovia. Based on extrapolation, the total desman population in Mordovia is about 1,400 individuals. We may assume that the most of the desman population is concentrated on floodplain lakes and reclamation canals. The highest density of the desman population in Mordovia was recorded in Krasnoslobodsky and Temnikovsky Districts (10.5 and 8.2 burrows per km, respectively). About 400 animals may live on the shore of the rivers Vad, Partsa, Yavas, Vindrey, Nuluy, and Kundybolka. The mean value of density of the desman population on the rivers was 0.9 burrows per km of the coastline, which corresponded to habitat quality class IV (0.5–5 burrows per km). The distribution of habitats across river basins is extremely uneven. The main part of the desman population is restricted to the Moksha basin (more than 1,350 individuals), and in the Alatyr basin (left tributary of the Sura River) just twenty individuals were recorded.</abstract>

Distribution and population density of the Russian desman (<italic>Desmana moschata</italic> L., Talpidae, Insectivora) in the Middle Volga of Russia

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The relevance of the research topic is prompted by the need to improve the practical instruments of forest management and make them in line with the principles of sustainable development. The research is aimed at facilitating the implementation of environmental, social and economic functions of forest ecosystems in a long-term perspective. The study made use of the following methods: systemic structural analysis, clustering and comparative analysis to identify groups of administrative areas that correspond to certain strategic areas of sustainable forestry. The research is based on cybernetic modeling which helps determining the strategic zones of sustainable forestry. The stages of creating model forests were defined alongside formulating economic, organizational, social and environmental aspects of forest management. The methodology envisages grouping of administrative districts on the basis of a number of factors, including the percentage of forest land, social and economic indicators prompted. The methodology was implemented when analysing official data from several administrative districts in the Zhytomyr region. Several scenarios of sustainable forestry were detailed for each group of administrative districts. Three strategic options were pursued: 1) preserving the viability of forest ecosystems in Ukraine, 2) contributing to the welfare of Ukrainians, 3) ensuring economic development of the forestry sector. It follows from the research that the model forest is a powerful form of cost-effective business interaction in the process of sustainable development that shall bring into action the conservation of nature, provision of comfortable living conditions for territorial communities as well as the most capital-productive utilization of forest resources.</abstract>

Using model forests as a form of balanced forestry in Ukraine

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">This study investigated the environmental factors affecting functional traits, which have been shown to be important for species assembly in diverse forest stands on limestone hills in northern Thailand. We established 54 plots of 400 m2 in three forest sites (lower, middle, and upper) established along an altitudinal gradient on a limestone hill. The functional traits were assessed and then linked to environmental factors governing forest composition. Results indicated that elevation, rocky outcroppings, and sunlight were important factors affecting functional trait diversity at the study site. Areas with high values of these three factors exhibited increased community-level leaf size, specific leaf area, and leaf thickness, all of which are associated with light-demanding species. However, in areas with low values of these three factors, we observed increased community-level wood density and maximum plant height, which are characteristic of shade-tolerant species. Elevation also positively affected functional dispersion and functional richness values, indicating a wide functional trait space in higher elevation areas, but lower areas exhibited a narrower functional trait space. We suggest that combining a trait-based approach with environmental factors can reveal patterns of species composition in limestone forests.</abstract>

Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry

Environmental factors related to community-level functional traits in limestone hill forests along an altitudinal gradient: a case study in northern Thailand

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Private forest owners are increasingly responsible for providing an extensive range of goods and services from their forests, as there are around 100,000 forest owners in Estonia. In order to support forest owners in providing these services, the state has continuously backed the forestry sector and established a public-private partnership with forest owners’ associations as well as their umbrella organisations and cooperatives. The aim of this paper is to identify the service and information needs of private forest owners in the context of this established support system. Using a survey sample of 757 respondents, we found that in regard to informational needs more focus should be put on forest management activities, i.e. on available information about service providers’ contacts, prices, options and principles for selling harvesting rights and timber. Furthermore, joint timber sales as a service should be further developed and focused on. While forest owners ranked highly both the information about financial support and the specific measures, they found the system sometimes too complicated. Both in terms of information and service importance-performance, forest owners indicated certification as a low-priority topic. Whilst interest representation in policy processes was indicated as a very important service, its performance was rated quite modestly indicating slight dissatisfaction with the current arrangements. There are also several socio-demographic attributes of forest owners that influence their needs for information and services about forest management. However, a better understanding of these attributes might help develop the system further.</abstract>

Reflections of active forest owners to the public-private forestry support system in Estonia

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Forestry Studies

 Forestry Studies | Metsanduslikud Uurimused is a peer-reviewed journal managed by the Institute of Forestry and Rural Engineering, Estonian University of Life Sciences. The journal publishes original research articles, reviews, technical reports and short communications. Papers are published in English or Estonian with English summary. Authors whose mother tongue is not English are strongly urged to have their manuscripts reviewed linguistically before submission. Submission of an article is understood to imply that the article is original and is not being considered for publication elsewhere. Manuscripts generally should not exceed 25 one-sided 1.5-spaced printed pages, including tables, illustrations, references and abstract. Reviews must not exceed 20 pages, technical reports 5 pages. The authors should aim to submit their work as concisely as possible and longer papers will be accepted under exceptional circumstances. Suitable manuscripts are considered by at least two independent referees before acceptance.   Why subscribe and read   the journal publishes research papers on all aspects of forestry (silviculture, dendrology, tree physiology and genetics, forest products, forest operation and techniques, forest economics and policy, etc.), and also close subjects (environmental protection, ecology, botany, zoology, entomology, pathology, soil science, etc.),  the journal is published twice a year in paper and electronic versions,  peer reviewed journal by experts from Europe and US,  publishing history since 1939.   Why submit   submissions accepted in a wide range of categories: original research articles, reviews, technical reports and short communications,  rapid review (by two independent referees) and fast editing process,  coverage by major abstracting and indexing services,  publishing without charge,  accessibility through MetaPress platform.   Archiving  Sciendo archives the contents of this journal in Portico - digital long-term preservation service of scholarly books, journals and collections.  Plagiarism Policy  The editorial board is participating in a growing community of Similarity Check System's users in order to ensure that the content published is original and trustworthy. Similarity Check is a medium that allows for comprehensive manuscripts screening, aimed to eliminate plagiarism and provide a high standard and quality peer-review process. 

Forestry Studies

Volume 71 (2019): Issue 1 (December 2019)

Research paper

Effects of burn season on large seedlings of oak and other hardwood regeneration three years after shelterwood harvest

Ukrainian plain oak forests and their natural regeneration

Haritava maa mahajätmine Tartu maakonnas

Distribution and population density of the Russian desman (Desmana moschata L., Talpidae, Insectivora) in the Middle Volga of Russia

Using model forests as a form of balanced forestry in Ukraine

Environmental factors related to community-level functional traits in limestone hill forests along an altitudinal gradient: a case study in northern Thailand

Reflections of active forest owners to the public-private forestry support system in Estonia

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