Workshop on tending of the seeds stands and the I + TRAINER tool in Dvor, Žužemberk (Slovenia)

Workshop on tending of the seeds stands and the I+ Trainer tool in Dvor, Žužemberk (Slovenia)

On Wednesday, 24 April 2019, a LIFEGENMON workshop was held in Dvor, Žužemberk on tending of the seeds stands. This was the third in a series of workshops on the importance, development and implementation of conservation of genetic diversity in Slovene forests.

It was organized by the Slovenian Forestry Institute, Slovenia Forest Service and a LIFE + LIFEGENMON project. The 1^st workshop, in Poljčane, was dedicated to forest seed production. The 2^nd workshop, in Prestranek, to the cultivation of seedlings in forest nurseries and planting in the ground and the 3^rd to the planning and implementing measures of care in the seed stands. Workshops are intended for the forestry experts.

At the theoretical part of the workshop in Žužemberk, prof. dr. Hojka Kraigher and Andrej Breznikar introduced participants to the project LIFGENMON, the importance of genetic monitoring of forests, the approval procedure and the measures of care in approved seed stands in Slovenia.

The topic was expanded by dr. Marjana Westergren and dr. Gregor Božič with the presentation of measures of genetic protection of beech. Andrej Držaj presented in detail the beech seeds stand Pri Studencu, where we later carried out the practical part of the workshop and where there is a plot for forest genetic monitoring of beech in Slovenia. On this plot, a series of data is being monitored in the framework of the LIFEGENMON project, and the method of collection and their analysis was presented by Natalija Dovč and Rok Damjanić. With this, the theoretical part of the workshop ended.

Before leaving to the plot, Kristina Sever and Andrej Breznikar gave instructions for using the I+ TRAINER tool, that was later used in a rehersal on selecting trees for felling. With the help of this tool, we made a virtual “decryption” (selection of trees for felling). The most important criteria that influenced the decision to select trees for felling were the morphological signs of the tree, the provision of their seed and the structure of the forest stands. We focused primarily on keeping the highest quality trees in the stand and removing the trees with negative morphological signs (eg. dryness, curvature and curvature of the trunk, asymmetry of the crown, etc.).

In the beech seed stand, on the plot Pri Studencu, there is also a training area for the selection of trees for felling (martelloscope). This is a 1 hectare plot, with all trees numbered, tree locations and all parameters (thickness, height and different phenotypic signs) are defined. All trees on the plot are displayed in the I + Trainer application that is installed on tablets. With this application, the participants selected trees for harvesting and saved their selection. In the final part of the workshop, we reviewed the results of all groups and compared them with each other. The differences in the results of the selection of trees for felling and for this purpose the measures taken to care for the seedbed by group have enabled an interesting discussion and evaluation of the results of the work.