Assessment, Conservation and Sustainable Use of Forest Biodiversity

Institutional and socio-economic aspects
Of the total forest area, 40-45% are semi-natural forests originating from natural regeneration and differing
only slightly from natural forests in terms of species composition. More than 70 fragments of natural and
virgin forests with a total area of 18,000-20,000 ha (1% of all forests) are found in Slovakia (KorpeL’ 1993).
Frames for Forest Biodiversity Conservation
The first nature reserves in the territory of Slovakia were declared by the forestry authorities at the end of the
19th century. At present, the IUCN nature conservation categories I (strict nature reserves) and II (national
parks) cover 19% of the forest land in the country. There are 561 strict nature reserves of which 93.5% (87,623
ha) and 6 national parks of which 80% (283,601 hectares) are forests. Another 460 ths. hectares are included
in the IUCN categories III-VI represented mainly by the Protected Landscape Areas.
Establishment of the gene reserve forests has a central role among the systematic forestry activities aimed at
conservation of forest biodiversity. With the aim to provide condition for long-term conservation of forest
genetic resources, 32 ths. hectares of gene reserve forests were declared or proposed for declaration by January
2000. Minimum area of each gene reserve forest is 100 hectares, which provides relatively good basis for
sustainable genetic, species and partially also forest ecosystem conservation. Under adequate management,
each gene reserve provides an opportunity to demonstrate dynamic conservation of forest biodiversity but
also practical applicability of nature-conforming forestry methods.
National system for conservation of forest genetic resources includes in situ and ex situ measures: approved
stands for seed collection (55,221 hectares), plus trees (3,204 registered plus trees), seed orchards (81 units
- 203 ha), two clonal archives (comprising approximately 1,000 genotypes) and the Forest seed bank with
350 entries.
In 1998, preparation of a completely new national forestry legislation started. A draft of a new Forest Act was
subjected to inter-sectoral discussion in 2001. It includes several new elements, which should help to mitigate
discrepancies between the forestry and nature conservation. Promotion of the category of Valuable Woodland
Habitats should allow for more efficient biodiversity conservation also in the forests with the priority of wood
production function.
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