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FOREST PROTECTION

The knowledge of the processes occurring in natural environment as well as regular control of the forest standing allow foresters to make an early diagnosis of any threats that might have a negative impact on a forest condition. Every year they perform activities to ensure forest continuity and to increase its natural resistance to stress factors.

Threats are divided into three groups:

  • Biotic (for example insect pests, pathogenic fungi, folivorous mammals);
  • Abiotic – dangerous natural phenomena (such as strong winds, hails, snow, deluge, high and low temperatures);
  • Anthropogenic – caused by men (for example, fires, industrial pollution and forest littering).

The forests comprised by the Forest District Krzystkowice are among the most exposed to damage by primary insect pests, of which the most frequent are pine lappet moth, nun moth, pine noctuid and pine sawfly.

 

The other forest threats comprise:

  • pine weevil, however, due to seed dormancy the danger is not big,  yet for control measures pipe traps are provided;
  • threat from grubs  is rather small  and is possible only in small areas of nurseries,
  • importing timber from abroad can constitute threats of bringing in quarantine organisms, it especially can ease out the appearance of pine wood nematode,
  • threats from pathogenic fungi is not big, yet along with sanitation thinning and cutting, pine barks on post-agricultural land were protected with Pg IBL.   

Damage to forests caused by animals (as a result of providing fencing, where currently  approximately 391 ha/177,9 km is fenced over) remains stable, yet showing a slightly declining tendency since last year as far as significant damage and economically bearable damage are  concerned. On the other hand,  in young forests an increasing tendency of damage has been noticed both in terms of significant as well as economically bearable damages.

In August  2012  a hurricane struck the Forest District Krzystkowice. The forest range of Żarków suffered most where wind devastated lots of trees, knocking them down or breaking. The devastation covered the area of 288 ha. The local authorities decided to use the area hit by the natural disaster for creating an independent ecosystem

The Forest Districts incurs increasing costs related to forest cleaning and waste removal.  More and more bulky as well as hazardous wastes are brought into the woods (for example broken down TV sets, refrigerators, tires, etc.).