Organization
The Technical University in Zvolen (TUZVO) is a higher education institution that develops creative scientific research and, based on it, provides education in 3 levels of higher education in the European educational and research area. In the field of research, it fulfills its mission by solving research projects and programs of a national and international nature in 7 research areas: agricultural and forestry sciences, engineering and technology, environmental science and ecology, engineering, economics and management, security services, art; as well as in other related and application areas. In education, TUZVO fulfills its mission in 7 groups of study fields: forestry, structural engineering, technology, production and communications, ecological and environmental sciences, security services, economics and management, art; with an emphasis on study programs II. and III. degree, accreditation and implementation of programs in foreign languages. In accordance with the profile, it also fulfills its mission of a "green university", which stems from the traditions of the Banská Štiavnica Mining Academy as one of the oldest technical and forestry universities in Europe and the world. Currently, TUZVO fulfills the concept of a "green university" by providing the most modern scientific knowledge for consistent adherence to the principles of sustainable living.
The achievement of the project objectives is ensured by the team of the Department of Phytology at the Faculty of Forestry, in external cooperation with employees of the Department of Natural Environment as well as the Faculty of Ecology.
Tasks in the project
Project coordination and management
Ensuring the overall management of the project as the Lead Partner, including the coordination of cooperation among the six partner organisations from Slovakia and Hungary and ongoing communication with the Interreg programme authorities.
Experimental research
A key part of the Lead Partner’s scientific contribution is the continuation of the applied forest management experiment Eutrofyt, established in 2017. The experiment examines how different silvicultural measures (e.g. reduction of the canopy and subcanopy layers), together with simulated anthropogenic nitrogen deposition, affect forest biodiversity and microclimate. The TUZVO team carries out annual surveys of vegetation, fungi and microclimate, complemented by soil and litter analyses at five experimental sites managed by the University Forest Enterprise. The research also addresses the so-called “oak crisis”, in particular insufficient natural oak regeneration, biodiversity decline and biotic homogenisation driven by environmental change and the abandonment of traditional forest management practices.
Cooperation on the development of management tools and their practical application
Cooperation with project partners to translate the results of experimental research into management programmes and guidelines for close-to-nature forestry. Providing expert support for their practical implementation in the forests of project partners on both sides of the Slovak–Hungarian border (in particular Forest of Krupina City LTD (FKC) and Pilis Park Forestry Company (PPFC)).
Dissemination of project results and knowledge
The Lead Partner, in cooperation with the other project partners, organises workshops, stakeholder meetings and dissemination activities aimed at promoting sustainable forest management practices among forest managers, nature conservation, and other relevant stakeholders in Slovakia and Hungary.
Partner level project details
Responsible person: Ing. Marek Kotrík, PhD.
Partner budget: 358 825.60 EUR
EU contribution: 287 060.48 EUR