NATIONAL FOREST INVENTORY AND MONITORING (NFIM) IN SLOVAKIA 2005 – 2006

1. NATIONALFOREST INVENTORY AND MONITORING(NFIM) IN SLOVAKIA2005 – 2006 Štefan Šmelko1, Vladimír Šebeň1, Michal Bošeľa1, Jaroslav Jankovič1, Ján Merganič2 1 - National Forest Centre, 2 - FORIM ltd. Národné lesnícke centrumT. G. Masaryka 22, 960 92 Zvolen (SK)tel.: +421/(0)45/5320316, fax: +421/(0)45/5314192e-mail: nlc@nlcsk.org, http://www.nlcsk.org

2. Objective and actual information on the status and development of forest is one of the basic assumptions for the meaningful management and beneficial use of forests by public. With growing significance of the forests for society,the requirements on the quantity and the details of the information about forests on national and regional level are permanently increasing. NFIM (2005-2006) was executed pursuant to the Decree of the Ministry of Agriculture of the SR No. 3473/2004-710 of 1 July 2004. Forest Research Institute (FRI) Zvolen was a methodical and coordination workplace, field work was performed by other institutes of contemporary National Forest centre. Mission and aims of NFIM

3. NFIM represents a new system that can in a long-term perspective provide a complex package of information on the condition and development of all forest ecosystem components, on national and regional levels in concrete time periods. It was carried out on all lands covered by forest tree species, (forest lands being registered in the cadastre as forest land resources) as well as on other forested lands including protected territories. It has been the first country-wide inventoryin Slovakia based on mathematical-statistical principles. Up to now the information about forests on national and regional levels was summarised from Slovak forestry statistics based on continuous stand-wise forest inventory, which is a part of periodical upgrades of forestmanagement plans performed every 10 years. Mission and aims of NFIM

4. Methodology of NFIM NFIM is designed as a combined aerial-terrestrial sampling method with systematic distribution of sample units over the whole territory of Slovakia.

5. Aerial inventory was carried out on orthophotomaps in 2x2 km grid. Sampling units = circle interpretation plots of 2,500 m2– in total12,667 plots. Interpretation plots were used to identify categories „Forest“ and „Nonforest“. Methodology of NFIM

6. Terrestrial inventory Sampling units (Inventory plots) wereestablished in 4x4 km grid – their number is 1,486. Inventory plots were fixed in terrain permanently but invisibly – to enable repeated data collection in the same way and in the same places Proposed period for the next cycle of NFIM is between 7and 10 years. Methodology of NFIM

7. Methodology of NFIM 4 types of ground inventory plots (A-D) were used: A – constant circle with radius r = 12.62 m for collecting data concerning terrain, site, stand and ecological characteristics, food sources for animals, and for the inventory of deadwood and stumps on the ground B – two concentric circles (r = 3 m and 12.62 m) for collecting tree characteristics of trees with diameter d1,3 = 7 - 12 cm and d1,3 ≥ 12 cm. C – variable circle for thin trees with diameter d1,3 < 7cm, its radius r = 1.0 m, 1.41 m or 2.0 m is chosen according to the actual tree density. D – enlarged constant circle with the radius 25 m established for the inventory of forest edges, forest roads and water resources.

8. Data collection technology • Progressive navigation, measuring and recording Technique – computer supported technology Field-map was applied. • Data collection was performed by 5 inventory groups of skilled forest management staff. • Supervision wasperformed by one control group

9. Sampled data About 100 parameters and attributes were sampled, for instance: • Production characteristics (number of trees, volume, assortments, stand structure, silvicultural and quality status of stands, forest regeneration, etc.) • Health status and damage of forest • Site and ecological characteristics (soil, forest, function type, degree of naturalness, risks, ecological stability, biodiversity, deadwood, food for animals, forest edges, etc.) • Other characteristics (length, density and state of forest transport network, frequency and parameters of water sources and streams, etc).

10. Data processing • Data processing has been based on adequate statistical methods with respect to used sample survey and properties of sampled data and parameters • Every processed quantitative and qualitative value has its corresponding mean value (arithmetic average, mean ratio) and standard error. • Results are arranged in the summary tables and graphs in a pre-defined structure. • The main sorting attributes are: • national (Slovakia) and regional (county) level, • forest on forest land, forest on other nonforest land, • state forests, non-state forests, • age (yield) classes, growth stages, tree species

11. Selected results Main inventoried values were determined with planned precision, which was assigned in respect to available financial and personal capacities: • Forest area ±1 %, • Growing stock ±2 % • Total forest coverage of SR 44.3 ±0.4%, out of which approx. 5% is on non-forest land • Average timber volume 264 m3/ha (±1.9%) of timber to the top of 7 cm inside bark, which is 23% more than the value estimated from the actual data of forest management plans • Very favourable vertical and age structure of forest stands has been detected – single-storied stands were found only in 50% of forested area

12. Selected results Tree species composition of Slovak forests

13. Selected results • Natural regeneration dominates in the regeneration of forest stands • Regeneration damage – undamaged 65 %, 24 % game, 11 % other • Average deadwood volume per hectare is 37.7 m3 (±5,5%) • Tree species diversity of forest stands • In more than 50 % of forested area 2-3 tree species can be found in the group of 20 nearest trees • in 1/5 of forest stands - 4-5 tree species • in 5 % - 6 or more tree species

14. Published results Šmelko, Š., Merganič, J., Šebeň, V., Raši, R. Jankovič, J., 2006: Národná inventarizácia a monitoring lesov Slovenskej republiky 2005-2006. Metodika terénneho zberu údajov, NLC Zvolen, 130 s., ISBN 80-88852-98-2 Šmelko, Š., Šebeň, V., Bošeľa, M., Merganič, J., Jankovič, J. 2008: Národná inventarizácia a monitoring lesov SR 2005–2006. Základná koncepcia a výber zo súhrnných informácií. Príloha časopisu LES / Slovenské lesokruhy č. 5–6/2008, Lesmedium SK, s. r. o., Bratislava, 16s. Šmelko, Š., Merganič, J., 2008: Some methodical aspects of National forest inventory in Slovakia. Journal of forest science.(in press)

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