Cristian Mihai Enescu
 

Department of Soil Sciences, University of Agronomical Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 59 Marasti Blvd., Bucharest-011464, Romania. E-mail: mihaienescu@agro-bucuresti.ro 

Forests represent a veritable barrier against land degradation, being the best choice for soil erosion control. Romanian woody flora consists of more than 300 species of forestry interest. Among them, approximately 50 shrub and tree species are often used in afforestation of degraded terrains. The aim of this review paper was to highlight the most important species used in forest land reclamation. Aspects regarding the ecological requirements and the results obtained by using these species in afforestation of the degraded lands were also presented. In conclusion, it could be stated that the Romanian experience acquired in this sphere of activity is very important considering the global warming, and afforestation of degraded terrains being the best way to counteract degradation phenomena and to mitigate the effects of climate change

Eirini Angelaki, Kyriaki Kitikidou and Elias Milios 

Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resources, Pandazidou 193, 68200, Orestiada, Greece. E-mail: kkitikid@fmenr.duth.gr
 

For the Aleppo pine of Tatoi forest (Parnitha, Attica, Greece), regression models that estimate the volume using diameter at breast height and/or total height were fitted. A random sample of 100 trees was taken. Eighty of these trees were used for fitting and 20 for validation. The selected model is V = 0.267·D2·H with R2 = 0.93 and standard error of estimate 0.199. Comparison with a pre-existing model of 2004, revealed the similarity of the old model for the estimation of the volume of Pinus halepensis for the specific area. 

 Krasimira Petkova (1), Wolfhard Ruetz (2),  Emil Popov (3), and Ivelina Neikova (4) 

1. Department of Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry. University of Forestry. 10 Kliment Ohridski blvd., 1797 Sofia, Bulgaria. E-mail: kpet@abv.bg

2.Bavarian Office for Forest Seeding and Planting, Forstamtplatz 1, 83317 Teisendorf, Germany. E-mail: wolf.ruetz@t-online.de

3. Department of Forest Genetics, Physiology and Plantations, Forest Research Institute of the Bulgarian Academie of Sciences, 132 Kliment Ochridski blvd, 1756 Sofia, Bulgaria. E-mail: emilpopov99@hotmail.com

4. Regional Forest Directorate, 23 Bulgaria str., 5000 Veliko Tyrnovo, Bulgaria. E-Mail: ivelinaneikova7@gmail.com
 

Two provenance tests with 29 German, American and Bulgarian Douglas-fir provenances were established in Bulgaria with 2-year-old plants in 2006. The trials were established in the forest enterprises 'Berkovitsa' (Western Balkan Range) and 'Borima' (Central Balkan Range). The spacing was 2 x 2 m, with 49 and 25 plants per plot, respectively, with three replications. The trials were evaluated for survival, mean growth and current annual height increment in the last (the sixth) year after outplanting. The results show that the trees in 'Berkovitsa', which grow on more suitable site according to climate, had less mortality and better growth compared to these on the site 'Borima'. Statistical analysis shows the beginning of differentiation between the provenances. Differences between the provenance regions are insignificant. Indications are given for the procurement of Douglas-fir seed for Bulgaria. 

Ralitsa Kuzmanova 

Department of Ecology Protection and Remediation of Environment, Faculty of Ecology and Landscape Architecture, University of Forestry, 10 St. Kliment Ohridski Blvd., 1797 Sofia, Bulgaria. E-mail: ralitsa.t.kuzmanova@gmail.com
 

Dormancy is a period when temperate species are not active. Their physiological processes are delayed until the appearance of stimuli interrupt the dormancy. This period is commonly separated in two stages. The first stage is a rest period, when the buds remain dormant due to growth-arresting physiological conditions and the second is a quiescent period when buds are waiting favourable environmental conditions to burst. The Chill Days Model is a sequential model that uses the accumulation of chill days to break the rest and accumulation of anti-chill days to overcome quiescence. Predicting the beginning of the growing season and the duration of cooling is important for the analysis of forest ecosystems. The Chill Days Model gives a good prediction of the bud burst. The site-specific temperature threshold for Fagus sylvatica L. with this model was established as 7.3 °C and chill requirements were defined as 124 chill days in Balkan Range. 

Alexandrina Kostadinova* and Ekaterina Todorova

Department of Ecology and Environment, University of Forestry, 10 Kliment Ohridski Blvd., 1797 Sofia, Bulgaria. E-mail: algkbg@gmail.com*, ek_todorova@mail.bg
 

The extraction of minerals in an open way inevitably leads to generation of large amounts of mining waste for storage and disposal. The last require vast areas. And although the present priority continues to be prevention of already generated waste it is important to try to cease pollution by achieving the requirement of getting to the process of 'end of waste'. Typically, this conversion of waste into materials is matched with the process stage of pre-treatment ensuring reliable recovery. Mining waste contains valuable and often searched substances that can be used as an alternative to natural materials.