RESUME

Assessment Preciseness of Tree Average Increment Culmination as a Criterion of Tree’s Cutting Maturity
Zdeněk Poleno (pp.294-295)

The author reflects critical comments on application of increment criterion for selection of single trees for reproduction cutting, presented in Lesnická práce 4/1999 (pp. 150-153).

This table-using approach, allowing a prompt estimate of average increment culmination on the tree’s basal area, together with a diameter borer can provide better information on a tree’s growth process - of course not of all trees but only the representative ones, of greater dimensions and a high quality, where the manager may hesitate whether to cut it or leave it grow. However the application of this information has to be supplied with a serious consideration of the tree’s quality and stability, of the chance of further increment development, of its magnitude. The author also advises not to neglect the experience with possible transitions between tree classes and through this the chance of increasing the increment by providing better growth conditions for the promising trees, namely in the first stages of regeneration, when there is a considerably high number of trees in the stand. In an advanced stage of regeneration (in sufficiently open stands) the decision to cut is based on the tree’s dropping average annual increment and not a current age or diameter. The analyses show many trees maintain a high increment even together with a considerable thick stem.

The author explains using the table and analyses possible errors in determining the culmination of average increment.

Czech System of Forest Certification
Josef Gross, Jaroslav Tymrak (pp. 296-297)

The Czech Republic deals with certification from the beginning of the nineties, when the minister of agriculture appointed a work group for forest certification. Their work resulted in proposals of certification system principles and in establishment of the National Certification Center (NCC) within the Forest Management Institute (FMI), which started to work in 1998. By the date more than 1,000,000 ha of forests were certified, mostly those owned by the state, communities and huge private owners.

In June 1999 The Czech Republic joined as a establishing member the Pan-European Forest Certification (PEFC) and, at the same time, started activities to establish the Czech Forest Certification System complying fully with the PEFC requirements for market-based certification systems. The Czech Forest Certification System was composed by the board of NCC in co-operation with all interested groups and approved in December 2000.

The Czech system of forest certification uses the regional principle of forest certification i.e. the certifying body considers the consistency of management and criteria within a territorial unit - a region - regardless the property borders. It applies results of current surveys, monitoring studies, statistical analyses and data sources of forest management plans and guidelines at the maximum extent and in near future also the national inventory launched this year.

Pine Needle-Cast Fungus Mycosphaerella pini E. Rostrup - a Common Pathogen
Libor Jankovský (pp. 318 - 320)

The Dothistroma needle blight caused by Mycosphaerella pini E. Rostrup was firstly recorded from Czech republic within year 2000. More than 20 localities was discovered on the infected plantations of Christmas-trees, public gardens, reclamation’s areas and also in the nurseries in the course of following year. The most common host of Dothistroma needle blight is Pinus nigra. This disease also is recorded from P. mugo, P. ponderosa, P. jeffrey and P. leucodermis. The Scotch Pine (Pinus sylvestris) was not observed as host of Dothistroma needle blight for the present. The tests on infection to Dothistroma needle blight on Scotch pine are negative also in the focus of infection on Black pine. The Dothistroma needle blight is considered as naturalized disease in Czech republic now. The protection and treatment against Dothistroma needle blight was not tested at the present due the short time from the location of infection. The strict precaution to eradication of this disease will be accepted in the nurseries.