Mapping and Strictly Protecting Primary and Old-growth Forests in the Western Balkans

The Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences at the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague is a professional partner in the international project Forests Beyond Borders 2.0: Mapping and Protecting the Last Primary Forests of the Western Balkans, coordinated by the European conservation organization EuroNatur.

Primary forests of Europe’s temperate zone play an important role in providing key ecosystem functions to our society. Primary forests also provide habitat for many species that help maintain biodiversity. Institutions and individuals behind the REMOTE (REsearch on MOuntain TEmperate) Primary Forests project help enhance our understanding of unique primary forests over long periods of time by means of various activities including research, public outreach, and education.

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Is a Partner in the International FORbEST Project Focused on Forest Protection

The project brings together leading European research institutions, universities, forest managers, and key stakeholders with the shared goal of protecting and strengthening the resilience of forest ecosystems in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss. The principal investigator of the project at CULS is Dr. Martin Mikoláš from the Department of Forest Ecology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences.

Large strictly protected forest landscapes will help maintain both biodiversity and long-term carbon storage

There is a growing need for research to better understand the ecological and socio-economic impacts of increasingly intense environmental changes, such as natural disturbances, globally. An international scientific team led by scientists from the Department of Forest Ecology focused on these natural events over the past 250 years, and they examined how those events have influenced current biodiversity indicators and the carbon cycle in primary forests.