Research, Surveys and Data Management

Nature Conservation 1/2008 — 26. 2. 2008 — Research, Surveys and Data Management

Wildlife impact on situation and development of forest ecosystems

author: Petr Čermák

Regarding the management of animals among game, game management have their priorities still set without much concern about the environment protection.

The result of sustaining disproportion between game management and other branches of management of protection areas is obvious. In a number of localities, intensive woody plants browsing leads to forest regeneration delay, woody plants lose increment and quality, and their mortality rate increases. There is a trend in substantial changes in tree species composition due to selective browsing; some rare tree species are often completely excluded from the regeneration process. In the environment perspective, the above mentioned process is unacceptable. Apart from the measures, which have been repeatedly discussed for a long time (unfortunately without any real effects), such as correction of game management planning on the basis of woody plant vegetation monitoring or higher sanctions for damage incurred by game, the environment protection urgently needs to differentiate game management into several categories. An effective system of differentiated game management may not necessarily be overly complicated – a division into three primary management environmentally friendly categories (MRKVA, 1995, 2001; ČERMÁK & MRKVA, 2003) may be sufficient: 1) It would not be focused on the usual game management production but rather on a target forest or forest ecosystem condition, it should consider lower game populations (only indigenous species); 2) management based on principles of su­stainable development, such as generally used management system basically corresponding with the existing management system, but with optimized game population; 3) management in game parks.