RESUME

POSSIBILITIES OF FOREST ECOSYSTEMS TO REDUCE FLOODS
Petr Kantor, František Šach (pp. 493- 495)

The paper deals with potential possibilities of mountain forests to reduce floods. Long-term studies of precipitation-runoff relations on slopes in the Orlické hory Mts. proved negligible surface runoff even in the period of high precipitation, on the contrary, massive subsurface runoff. Although the Norway spruce is the main tree species covering hills, increasing portion of broadleaves would not reduce risk of floods. The forest soil as well as the whole forest biotope possesses only finite retention capacity. The depth of 150 to 200 mm precipitation is supposed as a critical level of rainstorm that can be reduced by a mountain forest ecosystem in the Czech Republic.

POSSIBILITIES OF WOOD USE IN HOUSING CONSTRUCTION
Petr Kuklík, Anna Kuklíková (pp. 512-513)

After the overwhelming flood it is timely to update the common consideration that wood is suitable just to temporary constructions like roofings, doors, fences or floors. Czech ministry of Agriculture has launched the “Great Water Houses? project. There are important aspects in choosing wooden houses; from the view of “flood behaviour? these should be considered: good anchoring to foundations and fast sanitation after a flood event. The mentioned project is based on certified systems providing full-scope housing. Hopefully wood houses will get their appropriate place here as they had got in abroad (Germany, Austria) where 1/3 of Czech construction export is represented by wood houses.resume 11