Sagar Dhakal* and Prem Kumar Khosla

School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Shoolini University, Solan, 173229, Himachal Pradesh, India. *E-mail: sagardhakal@shooliniuniversity.com

Taxus contorta Griff. is an endangered conifer tree species. It is found in patchy habitats throughout its natural occurrences along with certain altitudinal ranges in the Himalayan region. The present study involves the stand structure, regeneration status and biomass of Taxus species in the Narkanda forest that occupies an area of 11.4 km² with an altitudinal range of 2400 m to 3000 m a.s.l. in Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh. A total of 24 square plots, each plot of area 0.16 ha, were laid in four main geographical directions (i.e., north, northeast, southwest and southeast) with equal six plots in each slope exposure. The result showed that T. contorta is found only in three slopes (north, northeast and southwest) exposures with the main association of Abies pindrow (Royle ex D.Don) Royle species. The absence of Taxus species occurrences slope exposure (southeast) was dominated by Quercus semecarpifolia Sm. Based on the results, this study documented that conservation of an endangered species should be done through silvicultural practices for its sustainable regeneration in northern slope exposure. Additionally, the adult tree of T. contorta must be conserved specially for pollination purposes, fertile seed production and dispersion of seeds exposing the open canopy closure through the thinning of common and dominated species. Finally, it is recommended that any kind of human disturbances should be strictly prohibited inside Taxus occurrence forest.

Kanda Raharja(1)*, Bintang Charles Hamonangan Simangunsong(2), Iwan Hilwan(3), and Elias Elias(4)

1. Program of Forest Management Science, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, IPB University, Bogor, 16680, Indonesia. *E-mail: kanda.raharja@gmail.com 

2. Department of Forest Products, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, IPB University, Academic Ring Road, Campus IPB Dramaga, Bogor, 16680, Indonesia. E-mail: bintangcsimangunsong@gmail.com

3. Department of Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, IPB University, Academic Ring Road, Campus IPB Dramaga Bogor, 16680, Indonesia. E-mail: ihilwan@yahoo.co.id

4. Department of Forest Management, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, IPB University,
Academic Ring Road, Campus IPB Dramaga, Bogor 16680, Indonesia.
E-mail: elias@apps.ipb.ac.id

Indonesia’s natural forests consist of various land and stand qualities, both highly degraded. In the past few years, the forest area has continued to decline. Gap planting is one of the silviculture techniques which can increase the productivity of the low potential tropical natural forest, mainly by using fast-growing species with short cutting rotation. The objective of this research was to study the impacts of gap planting on soil compaction and erosion in the Indonesian lowland tropical rain forest. Soil compaction was measured using Humbolt-Digital Statis Cone Penetrometer, soil erosion was measured using erosion pins and gap area was measured using Hexadecagon Method. The result shows that using gap planting causes soil compaction in gaps with an area of less than or equal to 250 m² and 1250–1500 m². However, the compaction value is classified as very loose soil so that it can be ignored. Otherwise, gap planting, using planting strips and chop off strips, has a positive impact by lowering erosion at gap size less than or equal to 250 to 2000 m².

Jens Hepper

Rostock University, Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Agricultural Didactics, Germany. E-mail: jens.hepper@uni-rostock.de

This study analyses the implementation of forest education in 13 German federal states in combination with the number of applicants for a vocational education in forestry, as well as the number of students at the faculties of forestry in Germany. Obtained results show that establishing the basics of forest didactics and taking into account educational topics beside the classical knowledge of woodland species, furthers the interest in forests and forest professions in general. The number of students in the university can be considered to be a suitable indicator for a good establishment of forest didactics and a general interest in forests, while the number of applicants in vocational education can be considered to be an indicator for a holistic and sustainable approach to forest education, according to this study.

Svetoslav Anev* and Adriana Marinova

Department of Dendrology, Faculty of Forestry, University of Forestry, 10 Kliment Ohridski Blvd., 1797 Sofia, Bulgaria. *E-mail: svetoslav.anev@ltu.bg

Variations in some physiological parameters of European beech (FS) and wild cherry (PA) saplings were studied in the second (2016), fifth (2019), and seventh year (2021) after windthrow disturbance in a monodominant European beech forest. Net photosynthetic rate (A_N), transpiration rate (E), water-use efficiency (WUE), and total chlorophyll content (TCC) of FS and PA saplings were measured both in a windthrow site (W) and in a closed-canopy site (C). The physiological measurements in C-site were used as a control for the comparisons with W-site. European beech leaves on W-site had a positive photosynthetic response to higher light intensity only in 2019, while in the wild cherry leaves, similar increase was observed in 2016 and 2021. At the end of the study period, E of FS and PA leaves were equalized between W-site and C-site and between the two species. However, two years after windthrow, FS saplings had a similar transpiration rate in the two sample sites, while PA saplings had significantly higher transpiration in the W-site. In 2019, FS leaves managed to increase its Е in windthrow site, but it remained high in the PA’s leaves. WUE remained unchanged in W-site at the beginning of the experimental period for both species, but this physiological parameter was significantly higher in FS saplings. In 2019, the WUE in FS leaves was stabilized, while in the PA leaves, it even increased. In 2021, both species had stable levels of WUE. In W-site, the FS leaves had the same TCC throughout the experimental period, while such a parameter was higher in W-site in the PA leaves. Better physiological adaptation of PA to changed microclimatic conditions after the windthrow disturbance is probably the main reason for this species’ pioneer character and rapid colonization of the territory. The protective role of herbaceous plants, which invade in a windthrow site, allows FS to save the physiological activity and even increase physiological processes and parameters a few years after disturbances.

Tatyana Fomicheva(1), Alexander Adamovsky(1), Ion Dubovich(1), Yuriy Tunytsya(1),
Khrystyna Vasylyshyn(1)*, Anatoliy Deyneka(2), and Maryana Vyniarska(3)

1. Department of Ecological Economics and Business, Ukrainian National Forestry University.
103 General Chuprynka Str., Lviv, 79057, Ukraine. *E-mail: kvasylyshyn@nltu.edu.ua
2. Lviv Regional Department of Forestry and Hunting, 8B D. Yavornytskoho Str., Lviv,
79000, Ukraine.
3. Legal Analytics, 8 Mechnikova Str., Lviv, 79017, Ukraine. E-mail: maryana.lviv@gmail.com

To optimize the use and management of Ukrainian Carpathians forest fund territories, ecological tourism is actively promoted by the government and reflected in the leisure sector. The attention of economists is mainly drawn to the market value of forest areas and forest resources. However, the trend is changing as the non-market values of forests are increasingly assessed and measured. This case study assessed the potential value of ecological tourism development using the contingent valuation method. A total of 235 respondents were interviewed in four regions of Ukraine. The results showed that most visitors to the Ukrainian Carpathians are willing to pay for ecological tourism on these territories. The average value was 35 USD per day in the conditions of organised ecological tourism and 10 USD per day in the conditions of individual ecological tourism on the territories of Ukrainian Carpathians forest fund. The results may justify financial support from the state for the development of ecological tourism and the adoption of relevant regulations. Prospects for it depend on the level of well-being and education of citizens, as well as the distance from the place of residence of the respondents to the territories of Ukrainian Carpathians forest fund. Regarding organised ecological tourism, the prospects for the development depend on certification of tour operators providing services.