Research Projects

Slovenian forestry is traditionally co-natural, sustainable and multifunctional, in 87% of forests the composition of tree species is natural or similar to the natural composition, of all NATURA 2000 areas as much as 70% are forests… Nevertheless, preliminary results of the current LIFE IP NATURA project indicate a relatively poor status in selected forest habitat types. Therefore, further research is needed to assess, develop and monitor the adequacy of biodiversity conservation measures, especially in the context of silvicultural measures in forest restoration and tending. Natural regeneration is no longer sufficient to rehabilitate the consequences of large-scale disasters, nor to prepare forests for future environmental conditions.

The project will contribute to the following goals, which are set out in the Resolution on the National Forest Programme:

• Preserve biodiversity at the ecosystem, species and genetic levels to maintain natural regulatory capacity and maintain the adaptive potential of forests to a changing environment.

• Adapt forest management to climate change, including all forest functions.

• Ensure adequate quality and quantity of forest seeds and planting material.

In order to gradually approach the long-term goals, the project will be implemented within 4 working groups (WP):

WG1: Analysis of restoration, tending, felling and bio-ameliorative measures by selecting, combining and testing existing and updated biodiversity indicators after implemented measures at selected forest sites

WG2: Compile a set of species and provenances of forest trees for sowing and planting in selected forest sites and contribution to the development of forest seed production in the processes of obtaining, finishing, storing and germination of seeds of selected forest tree species

WG3: Physiological and morphological characteristics of seedlings, their upbringing, colonization with mycorrhizal fungi and organization of a reference database on mycorrhizal fungi, protection and monitoring of growth performance in selected forest sites

WG4: Leadership and Communication

Researchers

• link to Sicris

The phases of the project and their realization

Selected results comprise of:

• Report on the conservation of forest biodiversity with analysis of species of indicator groups of organisms (selected indicator groups of animals and analysis of soil eDNA microbiome) and a demonstration of the biodiversity monitoring, including the design of additional plots for forest genetic monitoring.

• Development of the Index of Potential Biodiversity for Slovenian forests (IPB)

• Guidelines for monitoring of flowering and fructification, and updating the existing Application to record flowering and fructification.

• Report on the necessary equipment for the establishment of the Center for Forest Seeds and the organization of a database on accessions and the design of protocols for monitoring their quality in the Seed bank

• Recommendation for determining the quality of seedlings with selected structural-morphological and physiological indicators

• Establishment, maintenance and testing of the Reference database on mycorrhizal fungi and the Living collections of mycorrhizal fungi and SOP for mycorrhization

• Report on the design of geo-referenced planting experiments and their long-term monitoring by upgrading the current Application on planting success.

The results of the project, in which three institutions participate: the Slovenian Forestry Institute, the National Biology Institute, and the University of Ljubljana - Biotechnical Faculty - Department of Forestry and Renewable Resources, and operates in close cooperation with the Sloveni Forest Service, will be presented to brochurers. (guidelines), public forest service workshops, demonstration events and facilities, and scientific and professional contributions. They are intended, among others, for the revitalization and development of the areas of forest seed and nurseries, conservation of forest genetic resources, and the Rural Development Programme

Citations for bibliographic records

• link to Sicris

Project partners

• NIB - National institute Of Biology
• GOZDIS