Inaccessibility determines primary forests distribution in the Western Carpathians, but their future is not guaranteed

Presentation cancelled by author

Inaccessibility determines primary forests distribution in the Western Carpathians, but their future is not guaranteed

(Oral)

Martin Mikoláš
martin.ozprales@gmail.com

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6, Suchdol 16521 PRALES, Odtrnovie 563, 013 22 Rosina, Czech Republic
,
Karol Ujházy
Faculty of Forestry, Technical University in Zvolen, Zvolen, Slovakia
,
Marián Jasík
PRALES, Odtrnovie 563, 013 22 Rosina, Slovakia
,
Michal Wiezik
Department of Applied Ecology, Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Science, Technical University in Zvolen, Zvolen, Slovakia
,
Igor Gallay
Department of Applied Ecology, Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Science, Technical University in Zvolen, Zvolen, Slovakia
,
Pavol Polák
WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme Slovakia, Medená 5, 811 02 Bratislava, Slovakia
,
Juraj Vysoký
PRALES, Odtrnovie 563, 013 22 Rosina, Slovakia
,
Marek Čiliak
Department of Applied Ecology, Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Science, Technical University in Zvolen, Zvolen, Slovakia
,
William Keeton
Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, United States
,
Miroslav Svoboda
Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6, Suchdol 16521, Czech Republic

DOI: 10.17011/conference/eccb2018/107683

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Currently, most forest landscapes are intensively managed and primary forests around the world are disappearing rapidly with strong negative impacts on biodiversity. However, national inventories of primary forests and consistent methodology to conduct these assessments are absent, which results in further loss of these unique ecosystems. We developed a comprehensive methodological approach to identify primary forests, and we conducted a complete national inventory within the territory of Slovak Republic (49,036 km2). We analyzed the primary forest distribution pattern and studied whether the last primary forests represented all types of potential forest vegetation. We also evaluated the area of primary forests destroyed and endangered by logging in the last decade.
We identified 10.282 ha of primary forest remnants, which represent 0.47% of the total forested area and only 0.2% of the entire landscape. The distribution of primary forests was clustered. Primary forests were preserved in relatively higher elevations, steeper slopes, and undulating terrains (contrast relative relief). They were located in greater distances from roads and settlements compared to other forest habitats. Primary forests did not represent all types of the potential natural vegetation. Several habitat types are completely missing (e.g., flood plain forests).
Despite the small total area of these valuable primary ecosystems, more than 30% of them are directly endangered by logging. Between 2009 and 2017, logging occurred on 27 localities, and 144.53 ha of primary forests was destroyed, mainly by the salvage logging. Primary forests are exposed to an increased pressure of rapidly developing forest management technology and forest product demands. Road construction increases accessibility in mountain areas that have been largely protected due to their inaccessibility for centuries. Protected areas, such as national parks or NATURA 2000 sites, do not ensure conservation of primary forests, and alarmingly 90% of logging in primary forests was conducted in national parks. Our extensive study highlights the ineffectiveness of protected areas in Europe and the importance of national primary forest inventories; we recommend the inclusion of European primary forest conservation strategies to stop the rapid loss of the last primary forests and their unique biodiversity.

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INTRO:

The abstract reports on the experience of identifying and mapping primary forests in Slovakia, reports main figures, and assesses whether these forests are representative of the diversity in forest types of the country. It also describes current trends in primary forest loss in the country due to logging and salvage logging, and questions the effectiveness of existing protected areas in safeguarding these unique ecosystems.
MERITS:
The abstract has the merit of providing a complete and clear representation of the current status and trends of primary forest in a European country. Such complete pictures are rare in the continent, since for most of the countries complete inventories of primary forest do not exist. It has also the merit of providing data on the threats suffered by these ecosystems and opening the discussion on the effectiveness of protected areas
CRITIQUE:
I have no critique to move to the abstract. The only minor comment regards the need of making explicit how the lack of national inventories of primary forests leads to further loss of these ecosystems.
DISCUSSION:
The contribution complements the on-the-ground experience of local conservation NGOs with a scientific approach to evaluate the significance, representativeness and threats of the network of remaining primary forests in Slovakia. The last two points are particularly original. The last remnants of primary forest are too often assumed to be sufficiently preserved by the current protected area system, and as such the extent to which they are threatened in Europe is largely unexplored.

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INTRO:
The abstract presents the approach to map primary forests in the Slovak Republik. The authors have identified the percentage of forests, which could be considered as primary, facts about the spatial distribution and related factors. A key finding is that about 30% of the identified primary forests are endangered by logging activities and that the presence of a forest in National parks and Natura 2000 sites does not guarantee, that they will not be damaged by logging.
MERITS:
The main merits are the identification of primary forests in Slovakia, the factors, related to their occurrence and the threats. The abstracts presents the main facts in a clear way and the reader can easily understand the main messages.
CRITIQUE:
I do not find weaknesses of the presented abstract.
DISCUSSION:
The research is timely and of importance. There is clear recommendation for the need of common European strategy on conservation of primary forests in order to stop the loss of biodiversity and richness of the last remaining primary forests in Europe.