Organization
National Forest Centre (NFC) is a state owned public-benefit corporation, which is governed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Slovak Republic. It is comprised of four institutes which united forestry science, research, consulting, education and practice: Forest Research Institute, Institute for Forest Consulting and Education, Institute for Forest Resources and Information, Forest Management Planning Institute. National Forest Centre actively engages across various aspects related to forest ecosystems and the environment. It undertakes research projects, often based on requests from national and international funding agencies and research programs, aligning with the project's objectives. NFC directly contributes to forest health monitoring, national forest inventory, the assessment of forest ecosystem conditions. It also manages the Forest Protection Service Centre and oversees the control of forest reproduction materials. The long-term goal of NFC is to carry out forest research with the focus on forest management, silviculture, forest protection and ecology, forestry policy and economics. NFC has an extensive set of measurement data from long-term research plots, and several demonstration facilities for the transfer of research results into practice. To reflect current challenges, NFC has extended the focus to wood biomass energy, biotechnology, modern remote sensing technologies, climate adaptive forestry and agroforestry systems.
Tasks in the project
Digitisation and processing of historical data
The digitisation of approximately 2,500–3,000 historical records from permanent research plots established between the 1950s and 1970s. The records, currently available mainly in paper form, contain information on forest structure, biodiversity, and soil conditions and represent a unique source of knowledge on the long-term development of forest ecosystems prior to the onset of the current climate and biodiversity crisis. The repeated field survey of selected permanent plots to enable direct comparison between historical and current data.
Development and management of a shared database
The development and management of a shared cloud-based database integrating historical data from permanent research plots with current data on microclimate, soils and biodiversity obtained from experiments carried out by the project partners. The database will enable a comprehensive assessment of long-term changes in forest ecosystems and support data exchange among partners from Slovakia and Hungary.
Support for the development of adaptive forest management strategies
Participation in professional discussions aimed at designing appropriate management measures for oak forests under climate change conditions. The incorporation of expertise gained, including knowledge generated within the project, into forest management models and other strategic documents forming the basis for decision-making and everyday forestry practice in Slovakia.
Partner level project details
Responsible person: doc. Ing. František Máliš, PhD.
Partner budget: 181 860 EUR
EU contribution: 145 488 EUR