EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - UNESCO World Heritage

system management. The data are however very incomplete and by no means quantitative. E. g., Keim and Skaugset (2003) showed that complex
forest structure almost entirely dissipates the kinetic energy of rain, decelerates infiltration and thus
sustains the slope stability. Knohl et al. (2003) were found unexpectedly high carbon uptake rates for an unmanaged ‘advanced’ beech forest
(490–494 gCm_2 per year), which is in contrast to the widely spread hypothesis that ‘advanced’ forests are insignificant as carbon sinks. Unmanaged
forests at a comparatively late stage of successional development can still act as significant carbon sinks with large implications for forest
management practice and negotiations (CARBOEUROFLUX).
Because of the potential of forest regulatory functions in provision of services and the mitigation of adverse effects of climate changes, the project
priority is the scientific research on water and carbon cycling in temperate forest ecosystems.
This is also consonant with the Forest code of Ukraine and with the facts that “if there is not reorganization of the national economic complex of
the mountainous part of Transcarpathia in regard to the development of ecologically harmless types of activity (e.g. clear fellings of forest in the
mountains, ...), this land will always be endangered not only with floods, but also other natural calamities. So, it is necessary to work out and introduce
the State programme of anti-flood measures, especially in the upper flow of the Tysa river, taking into account the experience of foreign
countries.” (F.D. Hamor, director of the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve).
The research programme is based on scientific knowledge and long-term research of temperate forest ecosystems (e.g. Korpeº 1989, Bublinec &
Pichler 2001, Volo‰ãuk 2004, Keim & Skaugset 2003, Saniga & Schuetz 2001, Saniga 2005) and cooperation among the top-researchers from these
three countries: Ukrainian Research Team (URT), Slovakian Research Team (SRT), and Czech Research Team (CRT). The new models to decelerate
water cycle, the maps of carbon stock in primeval forests soils and the validated proposals of enhancement of carbon accumulation by 20%
will be developed. The enhanced rainfall and humidity prove to be the main controlling factors in increasing plant growth and carbon uptake.
The field research will be conducted on the selected localities in Carpathian primeval forests of the Ukraine (CHORNOHORA, KUZYI-
TRIBUSHANY, MARAMOROSH, ROZOK, STUZHYTSIA-UZHOK, SVYDOVETS, UHOLKA-SHYROKYI LUH) and also in adjacent managed forests,
for purpose to implement the nature forests dynamics, which may reduce watershed damage to a minimum, into Ukrainian forestry operations. The
preparatory work was carried in the year of 2005 through numerous contacts and workshops among Slovakian, Czech and Ukrainian partners.
The long-time cooperation
among these teams on relevant subject is recorded, e.g. International Conference in Mukachevo, Transcarpathia, Ukraine (October 13- 17, 2003):
Natural Forests in the Temperate Zone of Europe – Values and Utilisation; many workshops; common research on Carpathian primeval forests in
connection with serial nomination of these virgin forest ecosystems to Inscription into the List of World Nature Heritage of UNESCO. The study period
will cover two years. There will be used the Methodology of the primeval forest structure development research and the Methodology of material
and energy cycles and fluxes research. The new methodology to investigate the primeval forest structure was developed by the Department
of Silviculture, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, Georg-August University in Göttingen and the Department of Silviculture, the Forestry
Faculty of the Technical University in Zvolen. This methodology is comprised from the components: the structure characteristics and their measuring,
the production use of the available primeval forest area, the crown volume (Ck) of broadleaf species, the crown volume (Ck) of coniferous
species, the primeval forest canopy gaps, the necromass survey, natural regeneration survey in the gaps, natural regeneration measuring in the
gaps, the primeval forest height and diameter structure survey on the transect, survey of the remaining part of the ZP area. The investigation of
water and carbon fluxes and cycles in forest ecosystems will involve: study of bedrock and soil properties, meteorological characteristics, water
regime, solute transport and drainage, carbon accumulation and dynamics.
The advantage of using these methods is also in data compatibility, that the results can be compared to those obtained from the research of Slovak
Carpathians and to create a scientific knowledge database.
4.2 Project Structure
Pre-proposal No 4 ENHANCEMENT OF CARBON AND WATER RELATED REGULATORY FUNCTIONS
OF FORESTS THROUGH PATTERNS OF PRIMEVAL FORESTS DYNAMICS
4.2.1 Task Title :
Synthesis of prior knowledge and identification, selection and screening of permanent research plots
Task coordinator:
Prof. Ivan Volo‰ãuk, belonging to team: SRT
Objectives :
The results of 50-years long research in the Slovak Carpathians primeval forests preserves and also long-running research in the
White Carpathians of Czech Republic and Ukrainian Carpathians will be assembled. That is necessary to overcome a certain
fragmentation and reach critical mass in knowledge. The data are available on the effect of primeval forests dynamics on biodi-
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